Harry Potter and the Prince of Darkness
by Tadariada
Summary: Sequal to Harry Potter and the Picture of Temptation.Thank you for the reviews and keep it up! It's about their sixth year and there is a very odd new charecter who is more than what she seems. The censor is because of Chapter uh- ::thinks hard and gesses
1. The Message on the Ceiling

"Please?" Harry begged. "Please, please, please, please, please, please?" Harry clasped his hands together and fell to his knees. Dumbledore was trying to conceal his smile.  
"Harry, I already have allowed you to go meat the train down at Hogsmeade, why do you need to drive down there?" He asked." Give me three good reasons." Harry thought for a minute.  
"Uh- so I don't have to walk?" He said. "And that way I wont take up room on the carriages on the way back. And I won't be able to drive all year probably, unless I can on Hogsmeade weekends."  
"Harry, none of the other students are going to be able to drive for the rest of the year either." Dumbledore pointed out. Harry took a deep breath.  
"Please?" He begged. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please?" Dumbledore laughed.  
"I'll allow it, but you have to promise to stop saying please." He said. "I'm regretting the day I taught you how to drive."  
"Well, you didn't have to." Harry said. Over the summer, Harry had received a car for his birthday. The sender had left no name to it except 'a fan.' All of the teachers that had stayed at Hogwarts had tried every anti-dark curse charm knew on it. The car was clean, there was nothing wrong with it except that it had come with a flat tire, and that was fixable.   
"I know I didn't have to." Dumbledore said with a sigh. "But it would have been a waste of a good car."  
"Exactly." Harry said.  
"Well you may as well go get it. The train should be here pretty soon." Dumbledore said. Harry smiled slyly.  
"I already have it." He said. He stuck a hand in his cloak pocket and pulled out a key chain. There was a car key on a ring and then there was what seemed to be a little model of a forest green jeep. He brandished it at Dumbledore.  
"Good show, Harry." He said with a chuckle. "Now get the show on the road. You'll be late."   
"Thanks Professor." Harry called behind him as the large doors opened up automatically for him. Now that Harry lived at the castle full time, Dumbledore had taken the liberty of teaching the front doors and the front gate to open up for him automatically. Harry had also been permitted to do magic over the summer, so he could get caught up with the rest of the class.  
Last year Harry had missed three months of school. This was all due to the fact that he had been dead. Voldemort had used the deadly curse Avada Kedavra on him for a second time, and his plan had only half worked because Harry was now alive.   
On the first day of school last year he had received some strange information. He was the Heir of Merlin. Being the Heir of Merlin gave you many good things, including the power to draw fire out of thin air without a wand and an ancient necklace. The necklace was the best though. It had a charm of a sliver sword on it with a platinum vine creeping around it. The sword had a special anti- dark arts charm placed on it that had saved Harry's life.   
Once Harry was out side of the grounds he pulled out the little car. He mumbled a little charm and threw the car on the ground. It started to shake and then got bigger and bigger and bigger. Once it was full size again he jumped in and stuck the key in the ignition and twisted. The car revved up to life and Harry drove off to Hogsmeade.   
Harry smiled. Driving was so fun and self-satisfying. He sighed as he reached the station. He braked and then turned the car off. From a distance he heard the sound of a train. It was right on time. Harry on had to wait a few seconds before the train sped past him coming to a screeching halt. Harry took in the smell of smoke like it was perfume. It was relaxing and smelled great.   
Soon the doors of the train doors burst open and a mob of students came spilling out. He looked hard for his two friends, but couldn't see them. He cursed himself for being so short.  
A girl that looked to be Harry's age walked out of the nearest compartment. She was very pretty with long, curly chocolate brown hair that reached her waist and eyes so dark brown they were almost black. She was on the shorter side of medium height. She peered around the station for a few moments before spotting the horseless carriages. She looked a bit startled but headed into an empty one. Not long after Malfoy and his two sidekicks came out of the train. They looked in the windows of a couple of the carriages before going into the same one as the mystery girl.   
"Ouch! That hurt Hermione!" Came a deep voice.  
"Did I step on your foot?" Said a girl's apologetic voice.   
"Psyche!" The boy said and laughed. Hermione and Ron emerged from the crowd. Harry shut his eyes tight. They were- kissing.  
"Oh my virgin eyes!" Harry exclaimed loudly and pretended to shield his eyes. Ron and Hermione looked around until they saw the short black haired boy cringing with his eyes covered. Hermione walked over to him and swatted his hands down.  
"Very funny." She said sarcastically. Harry opened one eye.  
"Is it safe to look?" He asked. Hermione scoffed. Harry opened his other eye.  
"Much better." She said and hugged him. "How was your summer."   
"Better than usual. The only problem was I had to study a lot." Harry said.  
"How could you study? You can't do magic over the summer!" Hermione said  
"They lifted that rule so I could get caught up." Harry said. "It was actually okay. Thing go a lot smoother and faster when you are getting privately tutored by all of the teachers, including Dumbledore."  
"How'd you do on the O.W.L. tests?" Ron asked and scrunched up his nose.  
"I didn't miss a single one. I had to a N.E.W.T. test to, for that advanced D.A.D.A. class I took last year." Harry cringed. "It was fifty five pages long."   
"Did you say that Dumbledore tutored you?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded. "What did he teach you?" Harry grinned.   
"How to drive." He said.   
"Why would he teach you to drive? You don't even have a- oh!" Ron started, but then realized that Harry was pointing to the green jeep behind him.   
"Is that yours?" Hermione asked eagerly.  
"Yep. I didn't even have to pay for it. Somebody gave it to me for my birthday. Cool, huh?" Harry asked. They nodded, staring at the car. "So you guys want a lift or would you rather head up to the castle in the carriages?"  
"Did Dumbledore say you could drive us back up?" Hermione asked sternly.  
"Well, he let me drive down, you would think he would let me drive back up, wouldn't you?" Harry said. Hermione put her hands on her hips and shook her head.  
"I call shotgun!" Ron said, ignoring her. He walked around to the other side of the car and jumped in the front seat. Hermione scoffed again and then got in the car and sat in the middle seat. Harry stuck the keys in the ignition and they started up the dirt road to Hogwarts. Ron immediately began fiddling with all the special gadgets in the car. He turned the radio on, started the windshield wipers and put the air conditioning on full blast. Harry rolled his eyes and flicked them all off again, except for the radio. (They were playing his favorite song.)  
"HARRY WATCH OUT FOR THE GATE!" Hermione suddenly screamed as they tore up the rode. Startled, Harry slammed on the brakes.  
"That was fun." Ron said and rubbed his neck. "Whip lash. My favorite."  
"Hermione, I know what I'm doing." Harry said to his friend and started towards the castle again. Hermione was bracing herself for when they ran into the gate. This however never happened, because the gates opened for Harry when they sensed him coming. Hermione blushed and removed her hands from her eyes.  
"Oh." She said meekly.  
"Yeah. The doors to the castle open up for me like that too." Harry informed her.  
"And all of us little people actually have to open them by ourselves." Ron said and pretended to sniff. Harry shut off the car and told everybody to get out.   
"Reducto." Harry said. The car began to shake violently and then before you could blink, it was the tiny little key chain sized car again.  
"That was cool," Ron commented as Harry attached the little car to the key ring and threw it in his pocket.  
"Thanks." Harry said. "Hey, do you guys know who that new girl is?" Ron and Hermione thought for a moment.  
"The one with the curly hair?" Ron asked.  
"Yeah." Harry nodded.  
"I think her name is Caroline." Ron said.  
"No, it was Katherine." Hermione corrected.  
"What year is she going to be in?" Harry wondered.  
"Ours. She's from America." Hermione said.   
"She was in our car, sitting alone. We tried to talk to her, but she must have some sort of social problem because she barely talked." Ron said. Harry's brow furrowed.  
"That's strange." He said. "When I saw her get off the train, she didn't seem shy."  
"She'll probably be in Ravenclaw." Ron said. "She was reading the entire time. But then again, so was Hermione, so I don't know." Harry laughed at the furious look on Hermione's face.   
"Look, here come the carriages," Harry said, trying to prevent an argument this early in the year. The carriages stopped in a horizontal line facing the castle and the students began getting off. The first door to snap open was the carriage where Katherine was in. "She obviously has a high threshold for pain to. She was sitting with Malfoy and his two goons." Ron and Hermione laughed.  
"No kidding." Hermione said. They walked into the castle with the rest of the people and sat down at their assigned tables. Professor McGonagall was standing at the door and when she saw the new girl she swooped her away with the first years.  
"Oh how embarrassing." Hermione commented as she watched this happen. "Imagine being crammed into a room with all the first years." They all shuddered.   
Soon the sorting hat was brought in and the long line of first years followed it. (Author's Note: For lack of poetry skills I am NOT writing a song.) They watched the kids one by one sit nervously on the stool and clapped politely to all of them, although they made a loud holler if a Gryffindor was chosen. The line only had three more people in it now. The last two first years trotted up to the stool and sat on it with much more courage than the rest of the bunch, now that they had seen how it worked. They were both sorted into Slytherin. McGonagall cleared her throat for silence.  
"We have a transfer student this year. Katherine has come from America, and I expect you all to make her feel welcome here in her new surroundings. The same goes to the first years." She added as an afterthought. "Come on up here, dear." Katherine looked petrified. She stood up shakily and walked to the front of the room. The sight of everybody looking at her made her appear even whiter. She sat down on the stool and put the battered hat on her head. She sat there with her eyes closed for a long time. Harry felt sorry for her; she looked so freaked out. The hat opened it's little slit of a mouth wide.  
"SLYTH-" it started. Katherine's eyes snapped open. She must have been thinking very hard because the hat's mouth shut again. Katherine's eyes shut. A curious wave of whispers spread through the student body. That had never happened before. "RAVEN-" The hat started again. Her eyes were wide open again. The hat shut its mouth. There was complete silence for a few minutes and then- "GRYFFINDOR!" Everybody cheered as Katherine stepped shakily down from the stand. She was as stiff as a board as she sat down at the table. Everybody patted her on the back and congratulated her.   
"Honey, what's wrong?" Asked Parvati, who was sitting next to her.  
"Nothing." Katherine mumbled.   
"Okay, but you look pretty white. Here, eat something!" Lavender said kindly and passed her the mashed potatoes. Katherine thanked her and slopped some on her plate. Harry then realized that the food had appeared on the table. He began serving himself.  
"Is your hair naturally that curly?" Parvati asked. Katherine nodded.  
"Yeah," She said.   
"How cool. I want hair like yours!" Lavender whined.  
"Please, take it." She said. "It's a hassle to do everyday. My hair is so thick."   
"What was America like?" Lavender asked.  
"It was okay. Not that it isn't great here to," She added.  
"Tell us about the American school." Parvati said. "Were there any cute boys?"  
"There were a few…not as many as here though." She said Parvati and Lavender laughed at this. "I went to the Salem Institute for Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's this huge old mansion on the outskirts of town."  
"Isn't that a private school?" Lavender wondered. Katherine scrunched her nose up.  
"Yeah. You should have seen our uniforms." She shuddered. "They were pretty and everything but unnecessarily formal."  
"Why did you come here?" Parvati asked and patted her on the back.  
"My mom reckons I'm 'safer' here." She said. "I don't know why she's so fascist. Voldemort has no reason to kill me." Parvati and Lavender gasped at the name. Harry's interest in this conversation grew.   
"You-know-who wants to kill you?" They chimed.  
"Or so my mum says. She's really over protective of me." She said.   
"What does your dad say?" Parvati asked.  
"Well my step dad agrees, but I don't know about my dad. I've never even met him." She said, the cheerful attitude fading.  
"Poor dear." Lavender said.  
"I'm okay. I mean, my life is pretty good. My mom and her husband just had twins last year, Caroline and Elizabeth. I also have a younger half brother. His name is Cole." After she said that she just stopped talking again. Lavender and Parvati started gabbing away to her about all the 'cute boys' the school had and Harry soon found himself embarrassed and bored. He returned to Hermione and Ron's conversation. They were fighting already.   
Harry rolled his eyes and decided to just stare into space. He remembered what Ron had said about Katherine having some sort of social problem. Harry didn't know if he agreed or not. He glanced over at her and saw that she saw looking very uncomfortable around Parvati and Lavender. She looked at them kindly and smiled slightly at something. Her gaze was suddenly fixed on Harry. Harry quickly looked back to Ron and Hermione, who had finally stopped arguing.  
"You're awfully quiet tonight." Hermione said.  
"Sorry." Harry said quickly. "I just not in a very chatty mood. Rather tired actually."   
"Haven't you been getting sleep?" Hermione asked, concerned.  
"Not lately. You know- dreams." Harry said coolly. Hermione looked a great deal less stern and rather sappy at that.  
"Oh, I'm so sorry Harry." She said and looked at him, her eyes full of pity.  
"Hermione, don't look at me like I'm a puppy with a broken leg. I'm fine, only a bad headache." Harry said with exasperation.   
"You can get the headache relief pill from Madame Pomfrey, you know." Ron said.  
"Yeah, but she takes the summers off." Harry said. "I'm not about to go snooping around in her cupboards." Ron laughed.  
"Good point." He said.   
"Hermione, you are going to love what I did to your dorm room." Harry said, changing the subject. Hermione looked at him very skeptically.  
"What did you do to it?" She asked slowly. "Or do I not want to know?"  
"No it looks really cool." Harry assured her.  
"What did you to it?" Hermione repeated. Harry laughed.  
"You'll have to wait. It looks really good. And it smells good to." He added as an afterthought.  
"Define 'smells good.'" Hermione said, eyeing him.  
"Um- a delicious essence?" Harry guessed. Hermione let out a noise of exasperation.  
"You are impossible!" She whined.   
"No, I am not." Harry said.  
"Well then you can tell me what you did to our dorm room." Parvati and Lavender must have been listening in on them.  
"Harry, did you redecorate our room?" Parvati asked and batted her eyelashes.  
"In a way."  
"Tell me!" Hermione said.  
"You'll like it." Harry said.  
"How do you know?"   
"I know this because I'm amazing." Harry said.   
"If you're amazing, I'm the Queen of England." Hermione said with a raised eyebrow.  
"Touché." Harry said. They both laughed.  
"So what did you do?" Lavender asked, blushing.  
"That's for me to know, and you to find out." Harry said and stood up to leave.   
"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione asked.  
"To the common room. I'm exhausted. I wasted half the day begging Dumbledore to let me drive down here to pick you guys up in my car."  
"You have a car?" Lavender and Parvati chimed.  
"Yeah." Harry said. "Forest green Jeep, four-wheel drive, stick shift and all of the special gadgets in it." Harry couldn't help bragging about his car. It was one of his favorite possessions.   
"You'll have to give us a ride sometime." Parvati said. Harry smiled.  
"Sure." He left the table. He was walking down the halls he knew so well alone. Then he felt the presence of another person next to him. He turned his head and found himself facing the mysterious new girl.  
"Here's some food for thought. Parvati and Lavender have the biggest crushes on you. Avoid them or pretty soon one of them is going to just kiss you for no reason." She said. She had a very pretty voice. Like silk. You could tell she was a singer. Harry laughed. "No, I'm serious." She said and looked at him with a half-serious, half-amused expression on her face.  
"I'll take the advice." Harry said, wearing the same smile.   
"This castle is huge. How am I supposed to find the breakfast table tomorrow?" She asked.  
"Oh, just follow everybody else. It's not to hard to figure out after a while." Harry said.  
"Okay."  
"Have we met before?" Harry asked suddenly. "I have the strangest feeling I know you."  
"Not to my knowledge." She said. They reached the fat lady.  
"Hello dear boy." She said when she spotted Harry. "Have you gotten a new girlfriend already? She is very pretty."  
"No, we aren't dating, ma'am." Harry said. He was about to say 'we're just friends', but Katherine seemed pretty keen on being solitaire. Harry thought it was a pretty face gone to waste. He couldn't understand why such a pretty, funny and graceful girl wanted to be so antisocial. He didn't dwell on the thought. "Pretty pink pansies."   
"What was that?" Katherine asked Harry incredulously. The picture swung open.  
"Password." Harry said with a shrug. He clambered through the portrait hole and yawned when he saw the sight of the common room. He walked over to the fireplace and collapsed into the cushy armchair. He sunk into the chair so much that only the upper half of Harry's face was showing. His eyes were glittering and a smile was on his face. The fire's heavenly smoke was putting him to sleep. Common fire, get warmer please? He asked the fire through the strange telepathic message that let him set things on fire. The fire was instantly warmer. Harry sighed. He was at peace right then. He was just thinking about how he couldn't wait for the Quidditch season to start again, when someone interrupted his thoughts.  
"Okay Mr. Fire Power, turn down the smoke factor." Came Hermione's voice. Harry opened his eyes and glared at her.  
"I have a name you know." He said.  
"Harry, you are going to smoke us all out if you don't quit with the smoke." Ron said. Harry glared at him to.  
"Fine." He said bitterly and told the smoke harshly to leave but kept the temperature.  
"Much better." Ron said and coughed. "How can you breathe that stuff in?"  
"It smells good." Harry said and shrugged. Ron rolled his eyes.  
"Whatever." He said.   
"I'm going to see what Harry did to my room." Hermione said and trooped up the stairs heading to the girl's dormatories. Parvati and Lavender came in shortly after and followed her. They heard a little squeal of joy from the room. The three Gryffindor girls reappeared by Harry.  
"That is so pretty Harry!" Lavender said.  
"I told you, you would like it." Harry said and folded his arms. Harry had taken all of the rose chains he had made the last year and had put them on the girls' beds.  
"How long did that take you?" Parvati asked.  
"Not long at all. I made those last year with all the roses I got for my funeral, but I didn't want roses in my room for very long, way to girlie. I thought you three would like them."  
"They are awesome, Harry." Hermione said. "And you are right, it does make it smell good."   
"Never doubt the power of roses." Harry muttered to Ron. Ron grinned.  
"So do you know what we're doing in classes this year?" Parvati asked.  
"What? Oh- they're really going to be stressing anti dark arts this year from what I've heard. I'm with you guys again this year. They figured I could just sit in on the lessons. And Professor Tool is still here."  
"No way! We actually had a teacher that lasted more that one year?" Ron said. "I'm impressed."  
"So was I."   
"If only she was nicer." Lavender said. "But at least she isn't creepy like the rest of our old teachers." The whole group shuddered.  
"I think I'm gonna call it a night." Harry said.   
"Me too." Hermione said and yawned. "Got to be ready for classes tomorrow." Harry and Ron groaned and rolled their eyes. Harry walked off to his room and changed quickly into his pajamas. He jumped into bed and fell asleep quickly. He was much happier with his friends back with him.  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
Harry woke with the sun the next morning. That was the bad thing about sleeping next to a window. He got up and got dressed in his bed with the curtains pulled around the bed. He walked down the stairs into the common room, ready to spend a good hour sitting by the fire, bored to tears. But to his surprise, there were a lot of people in the common room.   
"There you are!" Hermione said and ran up to him. "Where have you been?"  
"Asleep?"  
"How could you sleep through a thing like that happened?"  
"What happened?" Hermione pointed up to the rafters. There was a message written up on the ceiling in some sort of strange glowing red paint.  
  
The royal court will soon be completed. Royal Sorcerer and Sorceress train well so you may join   
  
"Who wrote that?" Harry asked, but he had the horrible feeling that he already knew.  
"They don't know." Hermione said. "They can't get it to disappear either." Harry looked hard at the ink on the ceiling. Something about it wasn't right. The way it was glowing reminded him of something…fire!  
"It's not ink." Harry said.  
"Don't be stupid, of course it's ink." Hermione said.   
"It's fire, can't you tell?" Harry said.  
"Well…now that you mention it…" Hermione said slowly. Harry told the freaky fire on the ceiling to leave without a trace. There was a booming crack that echoed through the room and it disappeared.   
"I told you." Harry said.   
  
"Harry wake up! WAKE UP!" Ron shook Harry awake. Harry opened his eyes and glared at him. He had had the weirdest dream about- well he couldn't even put a finger on what it was about. It made no sense. "Come on! We have to get to breakfast!"   
"Oh!" Harry said and climbed out of bed.   
"I'll meet you down there." Ron said and left the room. Harry dressed in silence and jogged down the stairs to meet Ron and Hermione.   
"Well hey there sleepyhead." Hermione said.  
"Hey." Harry said and yawned.  
"You okay?" Hermione asked.  
"What? Yeah. I had the strangest dream though. In the dream I woke up at five o'clock in the morning and got dressed and went down into the common room only to find that everybody was already awake to. Then you told me off for sleeping through something and pointed to the ceiling. There was this weird message written on the ceiling. It said, ' The royal court will soon be completed. Royal Sorcerer and Sorceress train well so you may join.' I realized that it was written in fire. I put it out and we were just discussing who we thought wrote when he woke me up."  
"I had that same dream too." Said a voice from behind them. They all jumped and turned around to see Katherine walking behind them. "The only difference in mine was that I was watching you two the entire time." They stared at her for a second.  
"You're joking, right?" Harry asked.  
"Do you see me laughing?" Katherine said.  
"No." Harry said and sighed.   
"I've heard of this before." Hermione said suddenly. "You know sharing a dream. It means that you both have the same mission, but that just doesn't make any sense now does it?"  
"Not really." Harry and Katherine said together. They stared at each other, not knowing whether to trust the other person or not.   
"Well it could make sense, I suppose- but that would mean you would have to be-" Harry was going to say 'you would have to be an heir of some royal sorcerer or sorceress' but the look in her eyes told him not to say it. Or did she actually say it? Harry couldn't tell.   
They paused for a few seconds when they reached the picture of Merlin. Harry stared at his ancestor.   
"You are the heir." Merlin said.  
"Yes." Harry said. He had had this conversation with Merlin several times.  
"I believe you now." The picture said.  
"Good."  
"Use the necklace." Merlin said.  
"What?"  
"You heard me. Use the necklace."  
"I already have." Harry said.  
"Not like that. Not to save yourself. Use it for it's other purpose." Merlin said. Harry exchanged confused glances with the rest of the group.  
"I do believe you've lost me." Harry said to the picture.  
"Come to me sometime, and we will discuss it." Merlin said and walked out of the picture and into the one that was painted of Harry. They walked away. "Is it just me or are all the paintings in this castle crazy? I mean, look at Sir Cadogan! The fat lady too. She's not particularly sane either. And have you ever tried talking to the painting of me? Whoever did it must have portrayed me as some kind of player. You know like having nine girlfriends at a time and some sort of master prankster as well."  
"Well, I've said a few words to it before and you didn't seen that different." Ron said. Harry punched him in the shoulder.   
"I resent that."   
"No you don't."  
"Okay, we're not going to get into that this year." Harry said.   
"Thank you. I was just going to say that." Hermione said. Katherine had fallen back from the little group and was now staring at the picture of a witch that was hanging not to far away from Merlin's. The picture was of Cyrena, one of the first women witches. Cyrena was a beautiful witch with dark hair and dark eyes. She didn't talk much, but just sat in her frame for good chunks of the day letting passerby marvel at her majestic beauty.   
Katherine felt their eyes on her and quickly followed them down the hall to breakfast.   
  
  
  
  



	2. An Unusual Turn Of Events

A week went by. Harry kept having that dream every night. He and Katherine had discussed it once and hadnt come up with anything. His mind kept wandering to the dream, and it just happened to be what he was thinking about until Snape interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Potter!" He snapped. Harry's head jerked up to look at him.  
  
"What?" Harry asked. Malfoy and his two goons sniggered behind their hands.   
  
"Pay attention! Five points from Gryffindor!" Snape said and smiled wickedly to Harry. Harry decided not to argue and glanced at Ron and Hermione who were working together on a potion. Harry took out his recipe book and flipped to the page they were supposed to be working from.  
  
"There's no need." Said Katherine, his partner.   
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I've just finished making it on my own."   
  
"Oh thanks for including me."  
  
"Any time. I thought I'd just let you keep to your thoughts."  
  
"Oh." They worked in silence from then on.   
  
"Miss Patil!" Snape said loudly. The class turned to look at Parvati. "Will you kindly focus!" Parvati made a little whimpering sound.  
  
"I am focused sir." She said.  
  
"Let me rephrase this. Will you focus on the lesson instead of Potter?" Snape said. Parvati blushed and so did Harry. Snape moved away from her in one long step after he flashed another wicked smile.  
  
"Well, he's in a good mood." Harry commented.   
  
"No joke." Hermione said. She looked at the watch on her wrist. "Oh thank the goddess we're out of here in a minute."  
  
"Good. I hate this class." Harry said.  
  
"I agree," Ron said and glared at Snape's turned back. The bell rang and everybody hustled out of the classroom, glad that it was the last class of the week.   
  
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
Harry had fallen asleep in front of the fireplace again. He was having another one of his nightmares, but this one was different. He had been seeing his parents' deaths all over again. When he woke up his scar hurt, as he had expected. But the pain was different this time. He felt a small trickle of blood fall from it. Was his scar bleeding? He raised a hand to it and wiped. When he put it back down he saw a smear of blood on his hand in the firelight. He looked up at the fire trying to figure out how this could have happened. When he looked back down at his hand again, the blood had vanished and the pain in his scar was gone.  
  
"What's up Harry?" Hermione asked. "You're never this quiet." They were heading down the stairs to breakfast.   
  
"A premonition." Harry said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, a little startled.  
  
"I mean, something bad is going to happen. I can feel it in my stomach." Hermione and Ron exchanged glances.   
  
"Oh." Hermione said. "Well you know I don't believe in Divination. I'll bet you're just hungry."  
  
"I'm not very hungry actually." Harry said.   
  
"Well maybe sleeping on the couch last night is making it hurt." Ron suggested.  
  
"Have you ever slept on that couch?"  
  
"No." They chimed.   
  
"Well then you obviously don't know how wonderfully comfortable it is."   
  
"Whatever." Ron said, wanting to change the subject. "You finish that D.A.D.A. homework?"  
  
"Yeah. It was pretty easy, was it not?" Harry said.  
  
"No. I still don't understand it." Ron pouted.   
  
"I'll help you tonight then." Harry said. They reached the great hall and started to go in but were stopped by Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Have you three seen Katherine?" She asked. Harry saw she had a panicky look on her face.  
  
"What's up?" Harry asked.  
  
"For once, the urgent news doesn't concern you." She said.  
  
"Well that's a relief." Harry said. "I think I saw her making her way down the stairs when we left."  
  
"Thank you." McGonagall rushed off up the halls.  
  
"Something is going to happen." Harry said. "I know it."  
  
Katherine didn't show up for a single class all day. Not much was different without her in classes. Of course Lavender and Parvati kept wondering where she was the entire day. They had accepted her into their little social group in an instant. They hung onto every word she said because whenever she spoke it was always something funny, flattering or very intelligent. Most of the other houses thought she must be stuck up, because she didn't talk to much, but the Gryffindors knew better than to think that. She was always willing to help anyone and she gave off the impression of somebody very compassionate and caring.   
  
Harry walked up to the common room alone that evening. Hermione and Ron were taking a walk around the castle and Harry decided he did not want to be present for their smooch- fest. Nobody else was in the common room when Harry entered it. Or at least that's what he thought at first. Near the back of the room somebody was sitting at a table, her head buried in her arms, which were folded on the table. Harry realized it was Katherine.  
  
He walked over to her. Could she possibly be asleep? No, she wasn't. She was crying. Her shoulders moved up and down with every new sob. In one of her hands she was clutching a letter. She didn't look up as Harry approached her.  
  
"Katherine, what's wrong?" Harry asked and put a hand on her shoulder. It was very hot.   
  
"They're gone." She sobbed.  
  
"I don't think I know what you mean." Harry said kindly. She lifted her pretty, tearstained face.   
  
"My- family… he took them away from me." All at once Harry understood. She stood up and Harry hugged her.   
  
"I know, I know, I know, I know." Harry said and stroked her hair. "He took my family away from me to."   
  
"I should have gone to!" She sobbed. "He only w-wanted to kill me. They shouldn't have died. It should have been me."  
  
"I understand. He only wanted to get rid of me to. Not my entire family." A single tear rolled down his face. "At least you weren't there to see it happen."  
  
"That is true." She said and looked up at him suddenly. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "You must think I am very stupid."  
  
"Not at all, Kat. Not at all." Harry said. "It's only right to cry for the dead."   
  
"You really do understand, don't you."  
  
"Yeah." Harry said. He was amazed at how awkward he didn't feel. Usually crying girls gave him the creeps, but it was different with her. "I saw my parents death. I've seen it hundreds of thousands of times. It's one of my reoccurring nightmares."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Not your fault."  
  
"What is it like to be an orphan?" She asked suddenly.  
  
"I couldn't tell you." Harry said. "I'm not an orphan. I used to live with my aunt and uncle. But I'll tell you, I used to wish I was an orphan." She laughed through her tears.  
  
"Why would you want that?" She asked.  
  
"Because they were the scum of the universe." Harry said simply. "They used to make me live in a cupboard."   
  
"That's horrible!" Katherine said. Harry's plan of getting her not to think of her dead parents was working.   
  
"Isn't it though? Well they still think I'm dead back there, so I get to stay here over the summers."  
  
"Will I have to stay here over the summer to?"   
  
"What about your dad?" Harry suggested. "Surely you could stay with him?"  
  
"No good. Last I heard, he was in Azkaban."   
  
"Oh." Harry said, a little startled. "Well living in the castle isn't such a bad thing. I love it here."   
  
"What am I going to do without them?" Katherine said, bursting into tears again. "They even got Gandmama."  
  
"You've got all of us here at Hogwarts."  
  
"No offence, but your not exactly the motherly type." They both laughed.  
  
"Well no, but have you met Madame Pomfrey yet? She's very motherly. And Professor Dumbledore is a lot like a crazy old grandfather." Kat laughed again.   
  
"No joke there." She said. "Harry, you have no idea what this means to me. You don't have to sit down here, missing dinner just to listen to my pity stories."  
  
"I know, but I think this is a little more important than mashed potatoes and chicken." Harry pointed out.  
  
"You're a real friend you know that?" She said.   
  
"Thanks," Harry said. People were beginning to file into the common room and were shooting the pair of them very odd looks.   
  
"Katherine!" Parvati screamed as she entered the room.  
  
"Katherine!" Cried Lavender right behind her. Kat and Harry exchanged annoyed glances.  
  
"Oh honey, you've been crying!" Parvati said and took her away from Harry.  
  
"What's wrong?" Lavender said. Harry turned away when Kat started crying again. Ron and Hermione were entering the room now and he went over to meet them.  
  
"Did you see Katherine?" Hermione asked him.  
  
"Yeah. She's going through a rough time. Her parents were murdered by Voldemort last night." Hermione gasped.  
  
"Oh no!" She said. "I'm going to go talk to her."  
  
"Okay." Ron and Harry said as Hermione tore off to go comfort Kat.  
  
"I feel so bad for her." Harry said.  
  
"Yeah, that has got to be horrible." Ron said, looking at Harry awkwardly.   
  
"Don't look at me like that." Harry snapped. Ron said nothing.   
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
Harry had somehow coaxed Kat into coming down to breakfast with them the next morning, although she said nothing on the way down to anybody. They didn't really say anything to her either, just left her alone to think. They all sat down at the table and began to eat. Harry, who wasn't very hungry just poured himself a glass of milk. It tasted oddly of bitter almonds. They had just gotten to an interesting subject of conversation, when McGonagall appeared by his side.   
  
"Ah, Potter. There you are. I need to speak with you privately." She said. Harry looked at Hermione and Ron and Kat, who gave him very blank expressions.  
  
"I'm not in trouble, am I?" Harry asked, scanning his memory to find what he had done against the rules in the past week. McGonagall's eye's clouded up. Harry suddenly had the premonition of foreboding in his stomach again.  
  
"No. Follow me." She said. Harry shrugged and followed her.  
  
"I'll see you guys in class then." Harry said. They went into McGonagall's office and sat down. McGonagall stared at Harry for a while before she spoke.  
  
"I'm afraid I have some bad news." She said. Harry scrunched up his nose. How could there be bad news? Voldemort had been back for a year now, that was nothing new. Did it have something to do with the crazy dreams he'd been having?  
  
"What about?" Harry wondered out loud.   
  
She began reading a letter. "We regret to inform you that Dudley Dursley, Petunia Dursley, Vernon Dursley and Marjorie Dursley have passed away last night."  
  
"WHAT?" Harry said rather loudly. This couldn't be. "What do you mean they passed away last night?"  
  
"Harry, they've been murdered. Or at least three of them were. It says in this report the Ministry gave us that they murdered Marge and Vernon and Dudley."  
  
"Well how did my aunt die?" Harry asked. This had to be a dream. It had to be. Things like this just didn't happen.   
  
"Well she was apparently hiding behind her son and- well- you of all people know his size. When Dudley was killed, he fell backward and-" McGonagall couldn't finish her sentence.  
  
"He crushed her to death?" Harry asked. McGonagall nodded very slowly. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" Harry rocked back and forth in his chair, letting this sink in.   
  
"You have been excused from all classes this week so you may attend the funerals. You will need to leave by broomstick on Wednesday. You have today to pack. That is all. You can choose to finish breakfast or you can just go to your room." McGonagall was crying. Harry suddenly wondered why. She had never even met the Dursleys. Harry said nothing and walked from the room and up the hall. He was numb all over with shock.   
  
"Harry!" Somebody from down the called to him. Harry didn't stop. He pretended he didn't hear them. Ron and Hermione soon caught up with him.  
  
"What'd she want?" Ron asked. He looked at Harry's face. "Whoa- what's wrong?" Harry didn't know why he was so sad. Three or four tears had leaked out of his eyes.   
  
"Nothing." Harry said. "I'd just like to be alone I think." He wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his cloak and walked faster.   
  
"Well if it isn't Potter!" Came a cold drawling voice from the shadow of one of the corridors on the left. Malfoy stepped out of the shadows. "Potter the cry- baby…"  
  
"Get the hell away from me, Malfoy."   
  
"Language, Potter." Malfoy said. "I suppose McGonagall just gave you the news, did she?"   
  
"I'm counting to three, Malfoy. One-"  
  
"It must have been great fun, murdering all of those Muggles-"  
  
"TWO-" Harry said louder.   
  
"But a bit of a waste, as you didn't really like them anyways."  
  
"THREE!" Harry wheeled around and punched Malfoy with all of his strength in the nose and stormed off. Hermione and Ron had figured out what happened.  
  
"Harry, why are you sad? They were horrible to you." Hermione said and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off.  
  
"You don't understand. They were the only family I've ever had and now even they died. Nobody. I have nobody left. Nobody, nobody, nobody! You have no idea what it feels like to have nobody. You have absolutely no idea how it feels to wake up in the morning, knowing that you will never and have never had a proper family!"   
  
"It's okay." Hermione said, startled and a little frightened. "We understand."  
  
"No you don't. Don't even pretend to think that you understand. When was the last time you were called an orphan, or one of your parents died? Never! It hasn't ever happened to you. I don't want to hear it from you either Ron. And no I am not hyperventilating, Hermione, it just makes me sick when people try to pity me, or give me useless advice that I already know." He glared at them both, feeling a little better now that he had gotten this off his chest. (Author's note: I know I had Harry like, spaz out last book but I needed to do this again to work it into what will happen in this chapter. Clear as mud? Good.)  
  
"Harry, we need to get to class." Ron said in the lull in conversation. Harry was still glaring at them both. Hermione and Ron looked extremely uncomfortable and bolted off down the hallway. Harry decided to apologize when he saw them at lunch.   
  
Harry entered the common room. There weren't very many people in there, just a few of the first years, grabbing their stuff for classes. They soon left to. He decided to go see Kat, as she had gotten the week off to. He walked up the stairs to the girls' dormatories and entered the room.   
  
"Harry, what are you doing here?" She asked, startled. Her face was streaked with tears.  
  
"The rest of my family was murdered last night. Every single one of them." Harry said. "Being an orphan sucks."   
  
"Voldemort's really on a roll." Kat said. They hugged. "When do you have to leave for their funeral?"  
  
"Tomorrow, by broomstick. You?" Harry asked and sat down on Parvati's bed.  
  
"Same." She said. "I have to find something to wear today though. My whole family was Muggles except my mum. I'll never know why she married my step- father." Silent tears were running down her cheeks.   
  
"Wasn't he good to her though?"  
  
"Yes, I suppose he was. He was the best with kids."  
  
"That's good. I'll bet your family is going on to a better place." Harry said. He really couldn't think of anything else to say.  
  
"I'll bet yours are too."  
  
"If they get really lucky they will." Harry said under his breath. Kat heard it and laughed.  
  
"Be optimistic!" She started to sing. Harry had been right when he had thought her a singer the first night they had met. "Don't you be a grumpy. When the road gets bumpy- just smile, smile, smile! Be happy!" With every 'smile' she sung she pinched his cheek.  
  
"Where'd you get that one?" Harry asked, laughing a little.  
  
"A movie." She answered simply.   
  
"It's cute." Harry said and stared out the window. The third years were outside with Hagrid for their Care of Magical Creatures class. Nothing was exploding and nobody was screaming or laughing so Harry got quickly bored and watched Katherine pack.  
  
"Shouldn't you pack to?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.   
  
"Yeah." He jumped off.   
  
"Parvati is going to just die when I tell her that Harry Potter was lying on her bed."  
  
"They aren't that horrible are they?" Harry asked with a scrunched up nose.  
  
"They must be obsessed. Well, Parvati is at least. She's a heartbeat away from tattooing your name on her ass." Harry laughed.  
  
"Let's hope she doesn't. I went to the dance with Parvati in my fourth year. She was a pretty good dancer. Although I did feel a little like a trophy on display for the masses."  
  
"That'll happen when you're popular and famous." Kat said. Harry groaned.  
  
"I'm going to go pack now. See you at lunch?"   
  
"Sure." Harry smiled and left the room to go and pack. He finished in less than ten minutes. Getting bored and depressed he put the duffel bag at the foot of his bed and walked down the stairs. Kat had finished packing to and was also down there, looking at the fire.  
  
"Oh- hello." She said when he came into view.  
  
"Pretty fire, no?"  
  
"A little hot, if you ask me."  
  
"Nah."  
  
"You are crazy. At first I thought you were just on crack or something. I mean, you kind of smell like smoke-"  
  
"That cant be helped." Harry cut in.  
  
"And you can do some crazy things. But then I remembered that whole Merlin thing and realized that's what it was. You still are crazy though. I don't care about logic." She finished. Harry laughed.  
  
"Thanks- I think?" Harry said.  
  
"Done packing."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Did you remember pajamas and a toothbrush?" She asked. Harry thought back.   
  
"No."  
  
"You'd better go pack it while you think about it." She said. Harry nodded. "I'm going to lunch! I'll see you down there!"  
  
"See you." Harry said. He threw in the forgotten items and began to jog down the stairs. Maybe it was because he was running on an empty stomach, but he suddenly felt very, very, very sick. His eyes started to water and his head pounded and the world started to spin. His stomach was churning. He wanted to throw up, to get it over with but it wouldn't come up. He made his way over to the portrait hole and toppled out. He is his head on the floor with a sickening crack and Harry was out cold.   
  
A person stepped from the shadows, laughing slightly. Its face was covered with a black mask and all one could make out were two misty blue eyes.   
  
"Fool," it chuckled and then disappeared into the shadows again.  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
"Wonder what's takin' Harry so long." Ron said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. Hermione cringed at the sight of his open mouth but said nothing about it.  
  
"He said he'd be down right behind me." Katherine said lightly.   
  
"He could have just decided that he wasn't hungry." Hermione pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, that's true." Katherine agreed. "But- I have this strange feeling something's happened."   
  
As if on cue, a piercing scream echoed down from upstairs. It wasn't a normal scream. It wasn't like somebody had seen a mouse, or a friend had crept up behind you and grabbed you. It was a scream that of somebody surprised or frightened. At the high table, A couple of the teachers including Dumbledore had gotten to their feet. Another scream sent them running off down the hall. The babble of students had decreased greatly and now it was just whispers.   
  
"Come on. I want to see what's happened." Katherine said, looking very white. Ron nodded and stood up with her, but Hermione was reticent. She looked like she was going to tell them that this was against the rules, but since it wasn't, she snapped her mouth shut and followed them out into the hall.   
  
When people saw them leaving, many of the other students followed. They all wanted to see what had caused half of the teachers to run upstairs, but when they got there, they all regretted going.  
  
Cho Chang was standing frozen, pointing diagonal to the floor. Harry Potter lay there in a heap. Blood was seeping out of the side of his head and his left leg was sticking out at a strange angle, obviously broken. He had a very pained look on his very pale face and his eyes were half-open.   
  
"Get Madam Pomfrey." Dumbledore ordered Snape. Snape nodded once, looking confused and took off at a run. Hermione's eyes were wide and so were Ron's. Kat looked horrified and also very confused. "Students go back to your dorms. Now. Lessons are cancelled today, until further notice." With a flick of his wand he had Harry on a floating stretcher. He wasn't moving very much. Now and then his half-closed eyes would twitch and he would let out an almost inaudible whimper of serious pain.  
  
Madame Pomfrey came running down the corridor at great speed and with one look at Harry she came to a conclusion. "Poison." She said and whisked the stretcher off with Harry on it.  
  



	3. Death By Milk

  
  
Poison? Is she mad? He had a broken leg! He was- is bleeding!" Hermione exclaimed as Harry drifted out of sight.  
  
"She is a trained professional, Hermione." Kat pointed out. Filch was came down the corridor and began mopping up all the blood. Hermione suddenly blanched and ran into the bathroom and barfed. Ron and Katherine burst out laughing despite the situation. Hermione walked out of the bathroom guarding her mouth with her arm.  
  
"Why are you doing that?" Kat wondered.  
  
"Breath." Hermione said through her sleeve. "I thought I'd spare you." Katherine smiled.  
  
"Thanks for thinking of us." She seemed unusually calm. They entered the common room. It was incredibly packed now that everybody was in there at one time.   
  
"Did you hear Madam Pomfrey?" Whispered one gossipy fourth year girl. "She said he was poisoned."  
  
"I'll bet he tried to kill himself." Said another girl. Ron glared at them venomously.  
  
"Harry didn't try to kill himself." He hissed. "And you call yourselves Gryffindors. I can't believe anybody would say that."   
  
"Fine, believe what you want. But I heard him fuming about what a bad life he has and how everybody he loves is dead this morning. He was complaining about that last year too." The girl said and turned up her nose at Ron. "I still think he tried to kill himself. He certainly has the gut to do it, not to mention the motivation."  
  
"Harry did not try to kill himself." Ron kept repeating under his breath.  
  
"Relax, Ron." Katherine said and patted his shoulder. Hermione glared at her, as if Kat was stealing Ron away from her. "They are just some stupid fourth years. What do they know? All of us that know him, know Harry wouldn't kill himself."  
  
"Yeah. Especially over the Dursleys." Ron said, feeling reassured.  
  
"They were his family." Katherine said, getting choked up. "It's always hard loosing family."  
  
"Not the Dursleys. They-" Ron started.  
  
"It's always hard loosing family." She repeated, cutting him off. "It may not seem like it, but deep down Harry cared about those people. And deep down, they cared about him." Ron snorted, but Hermione nodded her head in agreement.  
  
"She does have a point Ron." Hermione said elbowing him. Ron rolled his eyes and they went up to the Girl's Dorms to sit down because all the other seats were gone.   
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
Madame Pomfrey and Professors Dumbledore and Snape were sitting in the Hospital wing all alone the doors all locked.   
  
"Who would do this?" Madame Pomfrey asked. "Why?"  
  
"We don't know Poppy." Dumbledore said stiffly. The broken leg and cracked skull had been mended immediately, but Harry was still a very pale green and out cold.   
  
Madame Pomfrey walked over to Harry and took a blood sample. She added the little shot of blood and added it to a bubbling green liquid. It fizzed even more and turned purple. Madame Pomfrey narrowed her eyes at the liquid and then went over to Harry and scraped his tongue. She put the spit in the little vile. It turned black. Madame Pomfrey looked please with herself and pulled out a piece of parchment and set it by the vile. Then, with gloves on she picked it up and poured it on the piece of parchment. The liquid however did not make a large black stain; it instead formed into words on the paper. When it was done Madame Pomfrey picked it up and studied it.  
  
"This is by far the strangest poison I've ever seen." She brandished it a Dumbledore. He took it out of her hands and read it several times.  
  
  
  
  
Death by Milk  
One part Potassium Cyanide  
  
Two parts Arsenic powder  
  
Two parts Muggle Rat Killer  
  
One glass of milk  
  
Flour, for appearance  
  
Mix all ingredients together, more or less of each for desired effect.   
  
  
"You are right. Severus, take a look at this." He handed it to Professor Snape. Snape studied it for a minute.  
  
"Stupid really. While it is very potent and has the potential to kill, when rat poison and Arsenic powder are mixed they dilute each other. Whoever made this poison must not have done their research."  
  
"So it's curable." Dumbledore said, sounding relieved.  
  
"Easily." Snape said. He started stirring the cauldron he had in front of him and in minutes he had a bubbling, clear pink concoction. He put some in a glass and handed it to Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"That was quick." She said and smelled it. She coughed.  
  
"I aim to please." Said Snape silkily. "And it usually works."   
  
"Yeah, yeah, sure, sure." Said Madame Pomfrey. "But what do I do with it?"  
  
"Pour it down his throat obviously." Snape said and glared at her.  
  
"Thank you." She did as he instructed. Everybody waited in silence for a few minutes. "Nothings happening." Madame Pomfrey observed.  
  
"It doesn't kick in for a few days."  
  
"And he did hit his head pretty hard…" Madame Pomfrey said with a sigh. "He's going to miss his family's funerals."  
  
"Oh, how tragic." Snape said very quietly under his breath. Nobody heard him.   
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
"You owl me if anything happens." Katherine said to Hermione, Parvati and Lavender the next morning. "Okay?"  
  
"Sure." They all said. Katherine looked stunning. She was all dressed up in a long black crushed velvet dress that hugged her torso and arms, but was floaty and full from the hips down. There was a matching cape that was held together by a round ruby broach that had a golden dragon in the middle. She looked like the picture some Muggles get when they think of the Salem Witch trials. She jumped on her broom carrying her carpetbag, sitting sidesaddle.   
  
"Bye!" Parvati and Lavender cried and hugged her.  
  
"Have a good trip." Hermione said and they to even hugged.   
  
"Thanks guys. I'll see you in six days or so." She took off, the air blowing her hair out behind her. Hermione walked back to the castle with Parvati and Lavender.   
  
"Poor girl." Parvati sniffed.   
  
"Yeah." Lavender said.   
  
"Poor Harry." Parvati sniffed.  
  
"Almost dead and with no family!" Lavender said. "I could cry." Hermione rolled her eyes. Would these two never stop? No, she decided answering her own question, not until one of them gets their hands on Harry. She sighed and kept walking with the two girls as they chatted about their crush, Harry Potter.  
  
  
The days dragged by. Dumbledore had insisted that everybody's things to be searched to find the person who had poisoned Harry. Since there were so many students this took a little over three days. The hospital wing was still blocked off and if you got injured you would have to see Madam Pomfrey in one of the dungeons. It was a great relief when Madam Pomfrey approached them four days later.   
  
"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah?" They chimed.  
  
"Mr. Potter has come to." She said. She had a very pained expression on her face that made shivers crawl up Hermione's spine.  
  
"Finally!" Ron exclaimed. "Can we go and see him?"  
  
"Of course, as you two are his best friends. But I must warn you, he's not- himself anymore." She wiped a tear from her eye.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked curtly.   
  
"Come with me, and I'll show you." She said and led them to the hospital wing. She stuck an old key in the door and opened it silently. "Be patient. Don't ask to many questions." She ushered them into the room and then shut the door behind them. Harry was sitting in a chair by the window staring out of it, fascinated. He kept tapping the glass and then cocking his head to the side as if confused. Hermione and Ron exchanged glances.  
  
"Hi Harry!" Hermione said shakily. Harry jumped and slowly turned his head to look at them. He certainly looked normal again. He bit his lip and narrowed his eyes at them as if looking for something.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" He asked frantically after a minute.   
"What? We don't want anything with you, Harry. We just want to talk." Ron said, only catching the last part of what he had said.   
  
"I swear! Whatever it is, I don't know anything!" He looked really afraid, his eyes wide. Nobody said anything for a long time. "Who- who are you?"   
  
"You don't remember us?" Hermione said shakily. Ron's jaw dropped.   
  
"Who are you? Where am I?"  
  
"Holy shit." Was all Ron could manage. "Holy, holy shit…" Harry, who seemed to be getting bored, decided to change the subject.  
  
"So…how long have you been here? I mean, you know, this place."   
  
"Since we were eleven." Hermione said, trying to regain composure. "You have been here since you were eleven too."  
  
"What is this place, a prison? How old are you?" Harry asked looking at the stone walls.  
  
"Sixteen."  
  
"How old am I?"  
  
"Sixteen."  
  
"Whoa." Harry said and lifted his eyebrows. "Guess what? I think that the people here know magic. That one fat lady, Madame Pompeii of whatever her name is- she carries around a wand! Is she the only one?"  
  
"No." Ron said faintly.  
  
"You- you two aren't one of them are you?" He asked suspiciously. They nodded. His eyes widened. "This is a dream. This is a dream. This is a dream. This. Is. A. Dream."  
  
"That's what I keep telling myself." Hermione said to Ron, who nodded.   
  
"Wait a second- I'm not- not-" He pantomimed waving a wand. They nodded.  
  
"No way! This must be a government conspiracy." He looked around the room. "Where are they hiding the cameras?"   
  
"Listen Harry, we'll come back later and finish this conversation…" Ron said.  
  
"Bye!" Harry called as Ron yanked Hermione out of the room. As soon as they were out of earshot Hermione burst into tears.   
  
"He doesn't remember anything!" She sobbed. She and Ron hugged, although Ron wasn't crying he felt that pang of sadness in his chest.  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*   
  
  
Three days later Katherine came home, crying. She was excused from classes for another two days and she spent the good half of one of them sobbing into her pillow. Parvati and Lavender decided to try and cheer her up one day.  
  
"Kat, hun. Why not go and visit Harry? Pomfrey will let you in. You and Harry were- friends." Lavender said.  
  
"He won't remember that." Katherine pointed out.  
  
"So, he's still really nice, and he listens to whatever you say." Parvati said. She had been in to see him the day before.   
  
"Yeah. And it's better than sitting here and moping around." Katherine smiled at her annoying friends.   
  
"You look much prettier with a smile." Lavender said warmly.   
  
"Fine. I'll go see Harry, although I'm sure it'll just dampen my mood."  
  
"That's the spirit." Lavender said and the two ducked out of the room and went off to class. Katherine heaved herself out of bed and walked to the hospital wing.   
  
"Hello Katherine, dear." Madame Pomfrey said as she came into view. "Would you like to visit Harry?"  
  
"I suppose so." She said and sighed.  
  
"Be patient with him. Don't ask to many questions, and don't say too much. He's already suspicious of me." Katherine flashed another smile and entered Harry's room.   
  
"Hello. Who are you?" Harry asked pleasantly as she entered.  
  
"Katherine." She said and sat over by Harry on his bed.  
  
"My name is Harry."   
  
"Nice to meet you." Katherine said and stuck out a hand, which Harry shook.  
  
"Nice to meet you to."   
  
"Harry, tell me. Do you remember anything from the past week?" Katherine asked with sudden inspiration.  
Harry thought hard. "Nope. I know I've been sick. It's all fuzzy." Katherine grinned. She knew what to do.   
  
"Would you like to remember?" She asked. "Would you like to remember everything?"  
  
"Everything? You mean my whole life?" Harry asked. Katherine nodded. "Yeah! Nothing makes sense to me here!"   
  
"Come here. No. Sit closer to me, I need to be able to reach you- yes that's it." She took her two pointer fingers and placed them on Harry's temples. She concentrated very hard. All at once the tips of her fingers began glowing a white silver color and Harry's eyes began to droop. This went on for many minutes, and then Harry's eyes snapped open and he stood up suddenly. Katherine grinned again and looked at Harry.  
  
"Its back!" He exclaimed. "Its back! Its back! I remember everything!"  
  
"And now you know why Voldemort wants me." Katherine said. "I have a healing power, as you now know."  
  
"Kat! I am forever in your debt!" He went to her and kissed her on the cheek.   
  
"Don't worry about it, it was nothing." She said and blushed.  
  
"So whose heir are you?" Harry asked her.  
  
"Oh, so you know I'm an heir?"   
  
"Well the only people with that kind of power, healing, or fire like mine have to be an heir of a famous witch or wizard." Harry said simply.  
  
"Cyrena's." She said. "She was the first witch. Ten years after Merlin."   
  
"They were friends, right?"   
  
"Yeah. They planned their heirs together." Katherine said. "Do you have a necklace?"  
  
"Saved my life last year." Harry said and showed her the sword necklace. " Do you?"   
  
"Yeah." She yanked a chain at her neck and pulled out a necklace that was of a silver mirror that had a platinum vine creeping up around it.   
  
"I see a similarity." Harry said. "Vines."  
  
"I did a whole bunch of research when I got mine last year. Cyrena put her power, healing, in your necklace. Merlin put his power, protection, in mine."  
  
"My power is fire." Harry corrected. Kat shook her head.  
  
"Protection. Your signature power is fire, but if you recall you have many other powers that protect you. You can stop flying objects and things like that."  
  
"I thought all Wizards could do that." Harry said.  
  
"Well you can do it on command. They cant."  
  
"True."   
  
"I know what I'm talking about. So my necklace works as self-defense and yours heals you. It's a pretty good trade."  
  
" But I just cracked my skull and broke my leg. It didn't heal me then."  
  
"You were knocked out. It would have healed eventually anyways. It takes a while. You were dead for three months, remember?"  
  
"How do you know all of this?" Harry suddenly wondered.   
  
"My vault." She said with a shrug.   
  
"Your what?"  
  
"Cyrena left a vault full of very useful information for me alone to use. It's behind her picture on the third floor."  
  
"And how did you figure this out?"   
  
"We heirs have our ways." She said simply.  
  
"Oh and what is that supposed to mean?" Harry said half exasperated, half intrigued.   
  
"Okay, let me put it this way." Katherine cleared her throat. "How did you get your necklace sent to you?"  
  
"I have no idea. It just came at Christmas last year." Harry said and shrugged.  
  
"Exactly. Merlin certainly didn't send that to you."  
  
"Are you suggesting I made it send itself from his grave or something?"  
  
"Yes. I did the same thing. Subconsciously." Harry crinkled his nose and looked at his necklace.  
  
"Yuck. This thing hasn't been cleaned for over two thousand years and was resting on a dead guy!"  
  
"You would have been a dead guy without it." Katherine pointed out.  
  
"Touché." Harry said with a sigh. "What a strange day."   
  
"I'll say. Only my mom and my dad and you know and- Voldemort know I'm a Royal Sorceress heir."  
  
"Royal Sorceress Heir?" Harry said.   
  
"Yeah. You're a Royal Sorcerer Heir. I know you know that a sorcerer is a very powerful Witch or Wizard."  
  
"Well yeah." Harry said and rolled his eyes. "Wait a second- that dream!"  
  
"I know. Royal Sorcerer and Sorceress beware, the worst is yet to come." She said quoting the dream she and Harry had had the first night back at the castle.   
  
"Holy shit." Harry said. "Just when I thought life was somewhat normal I get thrown into another crazy, life threatening Twilight Zone episode."  
  
"Never a dull moment." Katherine added.   
  
"Wait- didn't that dream say something about a Royal Court?" Harry asked. "You have any idea what that means?"  
  
"I was just going to ask you." Katherine said.  
  
"About that vault thing-" Harry started to say, but something cut him off mid sentence. Ron and Hermione opened the door and walked in. "Oh it's you again." He said. He exchanged glances with Katherine.  
  
"Hullo." Hermione said. "How are you."  
  
"Just peachy, thanks. And you?"  
  
"Could be better."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Harry asked and cocked his head to one side.  
  
"Oh no reason."  
  
"Cheer up, Hermione, or Ron just might get all depressed on us." Harry said slyly.   
  
"You remembered our names?" Hermione said, sounding impressed.   
  
"How could I forget my best friends names, eh? What kind of friend would I be if didn't remember your names?"  
  
"What's going on?" Hermione asked Kat, who shrugged innocently.   
  
"Oh come, Hermione, you thought I actually had amnesia?" Hermione's jaw dropped.   
  
"Do not tell me that you faked the entire thing!" She cried.   
  
"Fine. I wont." Harry said and grinned. After all he wasn't lying, more just like avoiding the truth.  
  
"You!" She snarled. "You had us all in a fit!"  
  
"Gotta keep life interesting." Harry said with a shrug.   
  
"I can't BELIEVE you!" Hermione said furiously. Ron was cracking up and had to sit down. "But you certainly didn't stage poisoning yourself and cracking your skull and fracturing you leg right?"  
  
"Does that sound like something I'd do?" Harry asked.  
  
"I suppose not." Hermione said. "You owe us more than you'll ever know."  
  
"I wouldn't go that far." Harry said very quietly.   
  
"Well Madam Pomfrey is going to berserk once she finds out you were faking."  
  
"We just wont tell her then." Katherine said.  
  
"Oh and what do we tell her? We walked in here and Harry had his memory back?"  
  
"Yeah. Harry you could just say that you hit your head on a- ah- a table or something and it came back to you." Ron said.  
  
"Sounds good to me." Harry said.  
  
So they told a disgruntled Madam Pomfrey what had 'happened' and left the hospital wing once Harry had changed into regular clothes again.   
  
"So what did I miss when I was out?" Harry asked as they walked down the hall.  
  
"Oh, everything." Hermione said.   
  
"What is everything? I was gone too." Katherine said.  
  
"Were having a Halloween dance. And you have to go in costume." Hermione said.  
  
"Oh no." Harry said his face falling. "Not another dance!"   



	4. Hips, Lips and Gender-Benders

Harry! Come to the dance with me!"   
  
"Get out of the way. You're ugly. He wouldn't ever bee seen in public with you. Harry wants to go with me. Don't you Harry?"   
  
Girl after girl asked be she Gryffindor of Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Hufflepuff. They all wanted to go with Harry. No matter where he was, people of the female type swarmed him. He started hanging in the bathrooms much more than usual.   
  
"I envy you." Harry said to Ron on the Thursday before the dance.   
  
"Envy me? I envy you. Girls just waiting for you to walk over them-" Hermione elbowed him very hard to make him shut up.  
  
"No you don't envy me. You don't have to worry about asking anybody to the dance. You have a girlfriend." At this Ron laughed and put his arm over Hermione's, that made her head fall into his shoulder. Harry glared at them.   
  
Katherine seemed to be having the same problem, although not as bad as Harry. From what it looked like all of the boys third year and up in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw and everybody else for that matter had asked her. Harry also noticed that Draco Malfoy had his eyes on her.   
  
At that moment Katherine walked down the common room stairs and walked out most likely heading for the library. Several boys noticed and followed her cautiously.   
  
"I feel sorry for her. I would hate to have people following me."  
  
"I hate it to." Harry said loudly, causing the girds that were hiding behind his chair to gasp and fall over. Harry rolled his eyes as they crept away.  
  
"Just say yes to one of them." Ron said. "It's not like any of them are ugly."  
  
"Yeah, but then the rest of them would feel bad." Harry said. "I might just go solo."  
  
"No!" Hermione said. "You want to be put in the costume contest don't you?"  
  
"What contest?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"If you come dressed up, with a mask on of course, with a partner you get entered in the contest."  
  
"What's the prize if you win?" Harry asked.  
  
"You don't have to do homework for a month and you get named King or Queen of Halloween." Hermione said.  
  
"I dunno. No homework for a month? That doesn't sound too bad."   
  
"Too bad?" Ron said. "Too bad? Are you nuts? It's great!"  
  
"I'm going as Cleopatra and Ron is going to be Caesar." Hermione said. "It's good that they're giving us tomorrow off to get ready and stuff. It's going to take forever to braid my black wig."   
  
Katherine stormed back into the common room.  
  
"No." She kept repeating. "I'm sorry, but no." A few of the boys left her alone, grumbling. A sudden thought struck Harry. He stood up and walked over to Katherine and sat down next to her.  
  
"Hey. Rough day?" Harry said.  
  
"Yeah. Are all British guys that desperate?"  
  
"Not all of them." Harry said. "I've been swamped all day too."  
  
"Swamped." She muttered, half heartedly imitating his accent.   
  
"I don't even know if I'm going to go to this thing." Katherine said and slouched in her chair.  
  
"Oh come on. You get a month of no homework."  
  
"Well, as much as I'd love that, I would still have to pick a person to go with and break some poor boy's heart."  
  
"I came to the same conclusion. Just with breaking some girl's heart instead of a boy's obviously…" Harry said. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
  
"That we should save the confusion and just go together as friends?" She chanced, looking up at him.  
  
"Bingo." Harry said. "That way nobody gets hurt- well sort of…- well anyways and then we don't have to worry about making a decision."  
  
"It's brilliant." She said. "But- now we have to worry about what to go as."  
  
"I'm sure we'll think of something."  
  
"Well we could go to the costume shop in Hogsmeade-" Katherine started.  
  
"There is no costume shop in Hogsmeade." Harry pointed out.  
  
"Crap!" She cursed, making some of the first years glare at her and shuffle away.   
  
"I don't have any costumes." Harry said.  
  
"Neither do I."   
  
"Crap!" Harry said. He thought very hard for a minute. "I have some Muggle clothes. Do you?"  
  
"Yeah." She said. "But we cant go as Muggles. That's way too typical. Everybody I've talked to is going as one."  
  
"That wasn't what I was thinking."  
  
"You don't mean-"  
  
"Gender- Benders!" Harry said brightly.   
  
"It's perfect!" She cried clapping her hands together. "You're just about my size to…"  
  
"Just as long as I don't have to shave my legs, I'm fine."   
  
Katherine laughed.   
  
"No problem. I know exactly what we'll do. It'll be perfect! Uh- come to my room tomorrow in the morning. This is going to take a lot of work-"  
  
"Hey!" Harry snapped.  
  
"Let me finish. It's going to take a lot of work for both of us to be perfect. Bring your best fitting, baggy pants. Uh- and your shoes and a ball cap and a big sweatshirt."  
  
"I can do that."  
  
"Okay. This will be great. Now, it looks as though we need to fend off the masses again…" She pointed at Dean, Seamus, Parvati and Lavender. They were walking over slowly. Harry and Katherine exchanged glances.  
  
"Stop. Before you say anything, we aren't going with any of you." Harry said.   
  
"How'd you know what we were going to ask?" Parvati asked in awe.  
  
"It's written all over you face. And- before you ask- I'm going with Katherine. Only as friends."   
  
"Seamus, will you go to the dance with me?" Lavender asked half-heartedly.  
  
"Yeah." Seamus said not even looking at her.  
  
"I'm sorry!" Katherine pleaded. "I just couldn't choose! You are all so great!" Seamus and Dean blushed.  
  
"I have the same thing. There are way too many pretty girls in this school. I can't decide." Harry said, seizing the perfect opprotunity. Parvati and Lavender shuffled away looking pleased and put out at the same time.   
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
Harry walked cautiously up the stairs to the girls' dorms; his clothes bundled up in his arms. He knocked on the door of their dormitory and the clothes under his robes. Hermione opened the door.  
  
"Hi Harry," She said flatly.  
  
"Don't sound so excited." Harry said. "Is Katherine there? We have to work on our costumes."  
  
"Yeah. Let me get her. Katherine. Harry's here." She called behind her. "Sorry. I'm getting sick of braiding my wig."   
  
"That's okay. Oh, you might want to go see Ron. That costume is so funny."   
  
"Funny in a good way right?"  
  
"Yeah." Katherine came to the door and yanked Harry in the room.  
  
"Did you bring the stuff?" She asked. Harry nodded.  
  
"I'm going to go help Ron with his costume now." Hermione left them alone in the room. As soon as she was gone Harry tossed the clothes to Kat.  
  
"These are perfect." She said and grinned at him. "Hold on a sec." She walked over to her trunk and dug around in it for a few seconds before she came to the surface again, holding a bottle of shaving cream and a razor.  
  
"I told you. I'm not shaving my legs." Harry said and pushed her hands away from him.  
  
"I never said you had to. But if you're going to be a girl, you can not have stubble." She said and pointed to his cheeks. Harry blushed.  
  
"Well that is very old fashioned. Why would I use a Muggle razor when I could just do this"- he lifted his left hand up to his face so that it was shielding his chin and mustache area. He spread his fingers and then snapped them back together again in a wave like fashion. This stubble was gone. Katherine's jawed dropped.  
  
"Well that was cool." She said. Harry did a slight bow.  
  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Katherine rolled her eyes.  
  
"Okay. Give me your wizards hat."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You'll see. Hand it over!" Harry tossed her the hat on his head. She mumbled something and pointed her wand at it. There was a small crack and a stench of burning hair and Harry's hat was no more. Instead, Kat was now holding a wig of long, thick black hair.  
  
"Weird." Harry said.  
  
"Try it on." Harry glanced uneasily at the wig. He took it from her and put it on. It fit perfectly. The thick black bangs covered his scar and most of his forehead. His head felt suddenly very heavy. He glanced up at the bangs.  
  
"I don't know if I'm going to be able to do this." He said and sighed.  
  
"You will. Now take these"- she threw him some clothes- "Go in the bathroom and change. Don't come out until I say you can. I have to change to."  
  
"Whatever you say…" He said looking at her selections of clothing. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. One thing was for sure. This was going to be a night to remember.   
  
"Are you done yet?" Kat called through the door ten minutes later. "I'm done."  
  
"Yeah…" Harry moaned.  
  
"Come out and model for me." Katherine said cheerily.  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes! I look just as bad as you I bet."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Totally."  
  
"Fine." Harry slowly twisted the door handle and walked out. His jaw dropped the second he saw Katherine. Her hair was suddenly short and brown and covered up by a ball cap. She was wearing his khaki jeans and the tight white shirt Harry had been buried in. The sweatshirt was tied around her waste. Only one problem; she was still wearing makeup.  
  
"Harry! You look so cute!" She cried.  
  
"Not perfect though."  
  
"Yes you are! What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm boob-less." Harry said reluctantly. Katherine burst out laughing.  
  
"You are to cute!"  
  
"Stop saying I'm cute," Harry said.  
  
"Sorry." She tossed him some balloons that were half filled with air. "There you go." Harry now realized that Katherine was suddenly flat, but decided not to ask how she had done that.  
  
Harry was wearing a grayish swishy mini-skirt, a sleeveless brick red shirt and some very thin checkerboard plaid knee socks. The two surveyed each other for a minute.  
  
"Makeup." They finally said, at the same time.  
  
"I'll take mine off and then I'll put yours on." She said. "Then we teach each other how to walk." Harry gave her a confused look. "You just wait and see the shoes you're wearing." She went over to the messy counter in the bathroom and took off all her makes up.  
  
"Do I really have to wear make up?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes. Most girls do. And you want to be a pretty girl right?"  
  
"I suppose…" Harry said.  
  
"Okay. Sit down on the makeup bench and keep still." Harry did as he was told. "Stop looking at yourself! You're moving!"  
  
"Sorry!" Harry exclaimed. "I didn't realize-"  
  
"Keep still!" She took a huge makeup brush and swirled it around in a blush container. She dabbed it on Harry's cheekbones. He laughed.  
  
"That tickles." He said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Tough it out. Close your eyes now." Harry did so. "Let's see…should we use eggplant or avocado?"  
  
"You will not smear vegetables on my face!" Harry said loudly. Katherine laughed.  
  
"That's just the color of the eye shadows, don't be a dork."  
  
"I'm sorry, but really this is a new experience for me." Harry said as she smeared eye shadow on his eyelids.  
  
"I understand. Open your eyes and look at the ceiling- without moving your head- and try not to blink." Harry couldn't help blinking as she took the mascara wand and started attempting to put it on. She managed to in the end.  
  
"Am I almost done?"  
  
"Nearly." She blew on his eyelashes, which made him blink as her breath hit his eyes. " Shut your eyes and do not open them for any reason when I put the eyeliner on. I don't care who comes bursting through the door. You will not move!"  
  
"Gotcha."  
  
"STOP MOVING!"  
  
"Sorry…" Harry couldn't see what she was doing but he felt a little paintbrush tracing the bottom of his eyelid. She blew on his eyes again, making him twitch.   
  
"Almost done!" She blew again. "Just a couple more seconds…" She put a finger to his closed eye and then pulled away to examine it. "Dry. You can open your eyes now. Well- look at yourself." Harry examined the 'girl' in the mirror. "What do you think."  
  
"I would go out with me." Harry said finally.  
  
"Don't." She advised. Harry laughed and shook his head. "Okay. Time for shoes." She dug around in her trunk once more and came out with a smile and pair of what almost looked like black leather, platform clogs. Harry's eyes widened.   
  
"Are you serious? How am I supposed to walk in those things without breaking my ankle?"  
  
"It's not as hard as it looks. Put them on!" Harry grabbed them and slid them on his feet and tied the laces. They weren't very comfortable, but he slowly got used to them.  
  
"This is weird." He said walking around the room.  
  
"You're slouching to much. Hold yourself high and proud." Katherine advised.  
  
"I would- but this makeup and all this hair is weighing me down."  
  
"Oh come on- take it like a girl." Katherine said with a laugh. Harry shrugged and followed her command.  
  
"Like this? Should I swing my arms? A lot of girls do that."  
  
"Yeah- just a little. And your hips-"  
  
"What hips?" Harry interjected.   
  
"Pretend you have some and swing them a little. Pretend like you are a model." Harry did so and flashed a cheesy grin.   
  
"So how high should my voice be?" Harry said, trying to imitate her voice in vain.  
  
"Not quite that high. Pretend your American."  
  
"Like this?" Harry said, trying again.  
  
"Perfect. You know what you need?"  
  
"Not more makeup, not more makeup!" Harry said quietly under his breath.  
  
"Acute purse." She tossed him one out of her trunk. Harry draped it around his shoulder. "Now work it!" Harry rolled his eyes and sat down on her bed.  
  
"Your turn." He said flatly, the girlish tone disappearing. "Slouch more. Put your hands in your pockets. Do NOT swing your hips when you walk. Slouch more." Harry said as she paced around the room. "Don't suck in your gut. Droop your shoulders. Well- smile! Obviously."   
  
"This is complicated." Katherine moaned.  
  
"Try being a girl." Harry sighed. He glanced over at Katherine and pressed his dramatic lips together and shouted, "SLOUCH!"   
  
"Okay, okay fine." Katherine said.   
  
"Now walk for me again." Harry said and folded his arms. She did. "Perfect."  
  
"You walk for me again!" Katherine said, pleased with herself.   
  
"No. I will not walk in those shoes more than is absolutely necessary!" Harry said nodded.   
  
"Okay well then dance with me. This is a dance you know. You have to DANCE!"  
  
"Oh thanks for clarifying that." Harry said. "But no. I am the worst dancer in the entire world. I'd smash your feet. Especially with these things on"  
  
"Okay…I thought for some reason that you- being Harry Potter Wonder-Boy- would be a great dancer."  
  
"Ha!" Harry said. "Yeah right!"  
  
"Well then we will have to charm your feet."  
  
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Harry asked, raising a penciled eyebrow. Katherine laughed at him.  
  
"Do you know that I've been here for an entire summer and almost two months and you're the first person I've heard say that?"  
  
"So? You won't be charming my feet. I don't care how sure you are of how well it will work- the last time that spell was on me- well-" Harry shuddered, remembering the quickstep he had been thrown into in his second year when dueling with Malfoy.  
  
"Tarentallegra?" Katherine said. Harry nodded. "Well was there any music when it was put on you?"  
  
"Uh- no. It was a dueling club." Harry explained. Katherine nodded.  
  
"Well then you were dancing to the beat of people's voices so of course you went crazy. Believe me- I know what I'm doing."  
  
"And I still say no."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because the second the rumor that I didn't actually dance with my own skills leaks out I will be swarmed by the press for months."  
  
"I see your point."  
  
"Good." Harry said.  
  
"But I don't except it." Katherine said.  
  
"Don't be pert!" Harry commanded.  
  
"Well you shouldn't be so ridiculous." Katherine said. "Nobody will know the difference. You said that you had a dance in your fourth year, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did the press show up for that?"  
  
"No…"  
  
"I rest my case." Katherine said with glee. "You dance!"   
  
"Damn it." Harry muttered.  
  
"Okay, let's see what I can teach you. Swing dancing. Toe- heel, toe- heel, back step. Do that again. Not so jerky. Let it flow."  
  
"This is confusing."  
  
"No it's not, you're just being difficult." Katherine said pointedly. "Toe- heel, toe heel, back step!"   
  
"Maybe this would be easier with music?"  
  
"I suppose." Katherine sighed. She left Harry standing for a moment as she dug through her trunk again and pulled out a radio/CD player.  
  
"What don't you have in that trunk of yours?"  
  
"Nothing." She said with a smile.   
  
"That thing isn't going to work here, you know. It's too magical in the castle. It'll blow up."  
  
"No it wont."  
  
"Yes, it will."  
  
"No it wont! I fixed it-I think-" Katherine thought for a moment, "Yes, I remember taking it apart and making it magical."   
  
"You could get in so much trouble for having that!" Harry said with a grin.   
  
"I know!" She squealed. "Great isn't it? Lets see here-swing music." She turned it on.  
  
"Duck and cover!" Harry cried and hid his head in his hands. But instead of hearing a loud boom, he heard quick paced music. He slowly looked up.  
  
"Boys will be bo-" She paused and then thought for a moment, "Nerds."  
  
Harry just glared. "Let's get this over with."  
  
  



	5. The Black Child

Students poured into the great Hall from all entrances. Some covered their ears against the loud music, but soon everybody got used to the huge speakers blasting and all the yells and hoots of the immature third year boys. A long line of couples wanting to be in the contest stretched fifty feet out of the main doors. Harry and Katherine were among the throng of them all.   
  
"Okay, so after the pretzel thingy we do which move?" Harry asked.  
  
"Normal for three paces and then you pick me up…" She continued going through the rest of the staged swing dance.   
  
"This is going to be hard to remember!" Harry moaned. "And this wig is seriously bugging me."  
  
They reached the front. Professors' Tool and Snape were taking names down for the contest. Snape looked them up and down looked at Tool. She shrugged.  
  
"Who are you?" She said after a few minutes.   
  
"Katherine Stuart and Harry Potter." Harry said in his normal voice. This drew a laugh out of Professor Tool and even Snape looked mildly impressed.   
  
"Well, Severus take them down. I've seen loads of people dressed as Muggles, but nobody cross-dressing as Muggles. Original."   
  
They smiled and took two buttons with the number 79 on both of them and entered the room. Harry's eye's widened. This wasn't anything close to what he remembered at the Yule Ball.   
  
"Now this is what I call a dance!" Harry breathed. Katherine snorted.  
  
"It'll pass." She said. "Come on. It's no fun unless you're close to the speakers." She grabbed his hand and yanked him to where the hired DJ booth was. Harry suddenly remembered something.  
  
"What about my dancing? I'm no good!" Harry said. "Weren't you going to do SOMETHING?"  
  
"Bewitch your feet?" She laughed again. "I don't think so. I have something better…" She grinned mischievously and told him harshly to start dancing.   
  
Something gold caught his eye as he pretended he knew how to dance as well as Katherine. He glanced over and saw Hermione, wearing a black braided wig and Ron in his fake gold Caesar getup. Harry laughed and waved at them. Hermione cocked her head and turned to Ron. He saw her mouth 'who is that?'   
  
"I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" Harry called back to Katherine who was in the middle of a bump and grind fest with at least three other boys and girls who seemed to realize that she to was a girl.   
  
"How do you like this music?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione. "Great, isn't it?"  
  
"Do we know you?" Hermione questioned, looking around to see if he was possibly talking to somebody else. Harry grinned.  
  
"Of course." He dropped the girlie voice and quickly removed his wig. Hermione gaped at him and Ron burst out laughing. Hermione soon caught on and hugged him as she jumped up to the beat.   
  
"You look awesome!"  
  
"So do you!" Harry said. "Hey come up here with us!" He led them to the front. Ron and Hermione began to get in the swing of things and were soon bumping and grinding with the rest of the throng. Harry was getting bored of dancing after a while and decided he needed a change. Making sure nobody was looking he snatched the two balloons out of his shirt and popped them. He heard Katherine giggle and turned. She wasn't flat anymore. Harry shot her a puzzled look and went to join her.  
  
"I bewitched them." She said to him and pulled him into the group of people grinding. There was a little group of people around Dean, who was break dancing.   
  
The song changed and everybody groaned. It was a slow song.  
  
"Hey. Dance with me." Somebody said from behind Harry and he soon found himself dancing with a boy. Harry squirmed. This wasn't exactly who he had been wanting to dance with. It was Draco Malfoy. "Don't think I've seen you around." He said sweetly, obviously trying to charm him.  
  
"I'll bet you have." Harry said flatly, although he found himself imitating Katherine's voice and accent again.  
  
"What's your name?"   
  
"What and spoil all the fun?"  
  
"But-"  
  
Harry shook his head. "No Draco."  
  
"How do you know I'm Draco?" He pouted. "This disguise is number one in its class."  
  
"I have my ways." Harry said mischievously and winked with a fake giggle.  
  
"I've got to know!" Draco's grey eyes were fading into a light green which was most likely reserved for flirting Harry realized in shock. "At least tell me what house-"  
  
Harry shook a finger in his face and made a little baby noise when it went from one side to the other.  
  
"Is this Padma?" Draco asked. "I knew it!" Harry made a valiant effort to escape, but Draco's death grip on his arms wouldn't let him. Harry squirmed as Draco planted his lips on Harry's and then pushed away very quickly.  
  
"Never knew you were a switch hitter Malfoy." Harry said with an evil grin and disappeared into the crowd. He decided he would announce the fact to the world in potions on Monday.   
  
The evening went uphill from there. Katherine and Harry made their way around the dance floor. Harry couldn't remember when he had ever had this much fun.   
  
An hour later after the 'Draco' incident Dumbledore approached the stage. "Is everybody having a good time?" He asked with sparkles in his eyes.   
  
"YES!!!!" The entire school chorused. Dumbledore waited for silence.  
  
"Well then here comes what you've all been waiting for- the contests!" People cheered. "Now if everybody would listen, I'll call out the names. 3rd runner up- Sam Golden and Jessica Orbwell!" There was scattered applause and cheering as Jessica and Sam walked slowly up to the platform. They were dressed as Barbie and Ken, only their hair was actually plastic and their knees were also very plastic looking. "I award you both ten Galleons."  
  
Everybody screamed congratulations as they bowed and moved back into the 3rd place slot.   
  
"2nd runner up- Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson!" Many people booed. Draco was dressed as a ghoul and was even slightly transparent and Pansy was dressed up as Moaning Myrtle. "I award you both a week of no homework and five Galleons."   
  
More cheers and hisses.   
  
"First runner up- Harry Potter and Katherine Stuart- Black!" There were many cheers as Harry and Katherine ran up to the stage, confused. Harry personally thought that there were quite a few costumes that were better. Katherine squeezed Harry's hand and hissed 'good job.' "I award you both twenty free homework passes, five Galleons and a special trip to Hogsmeade- whenever you would like to go!"   
  
Harry grinned. What a great prize! They bowed and stepped back into their place. "And now for the grand prize of twenty Galleons a month of no homework and a special trip to Hogsmeade-" Dumbledore paused dramatically and he restless students began hooting and hollering- "Mr. Ron Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger!"  
  
Everybody screamed and applauded even if they had no idea who Hermione and Ron were. They made their way to the stage and bowed majestically.   
  
"I name you two the King and Queen of Halloween!" Everybody applauded. Harry whistled loudly. Katherine swatted his hands out of his mouth and hissed something about public humiliation. Possibly the only person who wasn't cheering was Malfoy, but that was to be expected so nobody really cared.   
  
"Now for the dance contest." Dumbledore continued and the hubbub subsided. The whole room made strange noises of confusion. "Yes…we didn't tell you there was going to be a dance contest. You see we didn't want anybody preparing. This will be judged on raw talent." Harry and Katherine exchanged glances.   
  
~* She knew about this the whole time! *~ Harry thought fervently as they locked eyes.  
  
~* Of course I knew. ~* Her voice echoed around Harry's brain but her lips weren't moving. Harry's eyes bulged. ~* It's telepathy. Didn't I tell you that we were connected? I meant that literally. *~   
  
~* What? I don't want you to be able to read my mind! ~* Harry thought angrily. She laughed out loud and inside her head. ~* That's almost like the Imperious Curse! ~*  
  
~* I only hear what you want me to hear and vice versa. *~ Her voice was mocking.  
  
~* How'd you figure all this out? *~  
  
~* You made eye contact with me that one day when we had the same dream and I told you not to talk about it. Remember? *~  
  
~* Yeah. What do we do about the dance? *~   
  
~* Exactly what we're doing now. ~ She thought plainly. ~* I told you we're connected. I feel what you feel and you feel what I feel. Now if my calculations are correct, I should be making your left pinky twitch madly by now. *~   
  
Harry and Katherine looked down at Harry's pinky, which was going, crazy and grinned.  
  
"Dancers take your places, royalty of Halloween in the center please…" Dumbledore had finished the rules of the dance contest.  
  
"Katherine, I don't think this is smart." Harry said. "I mean- people saw me dance a couple of years ago- they're going to wonder."  
  
"You said that out loud dip shit." Katherine hissed as they found their spots on the floor.   
  
"I know." Harry retorted, getting a twinge red.   
  
"We'll start with some old favorites." Dumbledore announced. Harry and Katherine started dancing as the oldie song "She Bewitched My Heart" blasted.   
  
Snape quickly eliminated Barbie and Ken because they had to move so slowly with their plastic limbs. Professor Sprout who was rolling her eyes also pulled another couple close to them (dressed as fish) off the dance floor. Many of the couples (and solos) were tugged off because they were in awkward clothing they weren't used to moving in.   
  
~* See? ~* Harry thought to Katherine. ~* It does pay off to live with muggles sometimes. *~   
  
She laughed inwardly. ~* You know, I think you're getting a hand at the dancing thing. You really had your mac on back there when we were by the speakers. *~  
  
~* Oh it wasn't to hard, ~* Harry admitted ~* I mean it's all in the hips. ~*   
  
"And now a very classic song." Dumbledore said as the music changed into a waltz.   
  
"I know how to do this one." Harry said flatly as Katherine began moving his limbs for him.  
  
"I know." She said in a strained voice and a tense smile when McGonagall walked by them, staring at them oddly. ~* That was close! ~*  
  
~* Sorry. These bangs are clouding my vision ~*   
  
~* Yeah…sure they are…~* "Good job you guys!" Katherine said loudly as Hermione and Ron were tapped on the shoulder to leave by Professor Trelawney who was glaring at Hermione.   
  
"Yeah!" Harry echoed. "Good job."  
  
"Good luck!" Hermione winked just before she was tugged out of view.  
  
"Not that we'll need it." Katherine said with teeth barred into a smile. "Dumbledore's going to announce our song now…"  
  
"And now for a Muggle classic!" Dumbledore said. Harry looked at her.  
  
"If you're open to hear people's thoughts, they'll come into your brain." Katherine said. "McGonagall's came into mine a while ago when you were still unconscious and it let me know about the contest."  
  
"Oh." The music switched into swing and Harry's mind floated a little while Katherine began subconsciously telling his body where to go and when to dip.   
  
Professor McGonagall led Draco and Pansy off the stage. (Pansy had stepped through Draco in attempt to be lifted through the air by him. Harry, Katherine, Dean and Parvati were the only ones left on the stage now.  
  
The Slytherins booing at the Gryffindors dancing almost blocked the music and then again when the rest of the school cheered as Dean flipped Parvati in the air.  
  
~* Two can play that game! ~* Katherine thought madly. Harry had a feeling she hadnt directed that at him. Harry lost his train of though when he suddenly found himself throwing Katherine in a triple axle spin.  
  
~* You're going to be the death of me. ~* Harry hissed to her.  
  
"Aren't you having fun?" Katherine asked. Harry nodded. "So don't complain!" The song ended. And everybody applauded.  
  
"So now that we're all decently worn out," Dumbledore said. "How about we get some sleep?"   
  
Somebody started a chant of, "Dinner, dinner, dinner, dinner!" and the whole school began to follow the example until at last Dumbledore smiles and nodded.   
  
"Yes, well I suppose something could be arranged…" He clapped his hands and tables appeared on the dance floor empty except of Harry Kat, Dean and Parvati. The students sat down at whatever table they felt like and pigged out on the delicious food. Hermione and Ron joined them, but they were wrapped up in their own conversation.   
  
Harry looked at Kat. Kat looked back at him. They stared at each other for a while not knowing what to say.  
  
Katherine though of something that caught Harry off his guard.  
  
~* Harry do you hate Sirius Black? ~* She wondered. Harry's jaw dropped open, exposing mashed potatoes. She grimaced and pushed it back to its original position. "Well? Do you?"  
  
"Katherine!" Harry hissed. ~* Now is not the time for this conversation. ~*  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked. ~* What's the big deal? ~*  
  
~* The walls have ears. ~* Harry snapped at her.   
  
"Okay again in English this time." Katherine said. ~* Spill it. ~*  
  
"I said not here." Harry hissed. ~* Somebody might here us! ~*  
  
"Why do you care?" She asked and waved her fork in the air out of annoyance. ~* He's not here. Who gives? ~*  
  
"I cant go…" ~* blabbing my secrets in the great hall okay? ~*  
  
~* Tell me. Nobody can hear this conversation. ~*  
  
~* Do I hate Sirius? NO! ~*  
  
Her jaw dropped. Harry replaced it for her this time. ~* How can you not hate him? Wasn't he the cause of your- of your- um- well that is to say…~*  
  
~* My parents deaths? ~* Harry chortled out loud. He didn't notice Hermione and Ron staring at them. ~* He's innocent Katherine, you should know that. ~*  
  
"HE IS?" Katherine said loudly, her tone something of joy. Harry clapped a hand to her mouth.   
  
"Not so loud." Harry laughed nervously as the heads of the people at their table went back to their own conversations. ~* I couldn't hate him. I don't hate him. He didn't do anything. ~*  
  
~* I'm glad you agree. ~*  
  
~* You agree? You think he's innocent? ~*  
  
~* Of course, I do Harry. I've known it all along. ~*  
  
~* But how- ~* Harry wondered.  
  
~* It's simple enough…~*  
  
~* You did know he's my godfather, right? ~*  
  
"WHAT?"   
  
"Hush Kat." Harry said out loud. ~* Yeah, he's my godfather. He was my dad's best friend. WAIT A SECOND. When we got our prize- ~*  
  
~* Yes, you heard right. She said Katherine Stuart- ~*  
  
~* Black ~* They thought at the same time.   
  
"You're his-"  
  
"Daughter." She finished. Harry choked on a bean. Hermione, who was next to him, thumped him hard on the back.  
  
"Hermione?" Harry asked.   
  
"What Harry?"  
  
"Catch me." And he fell into her arms in a faint.   
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*   
  
Somebody smacked Harry's cheek. He woke up.   
  
"What-" He asked.   
  
"Sit up before the whole table sees you!" Hermione hissed. Harry noticed he was being supported by her arms and jumped.  
  
"Sorry." He said gruffly and dusted his skirt off.   
  
Thankfully only the three people around Harry had seen him faint.  
  
~* Never give me that kind of news when I'm eating. ~* Harry thought viciously over to Katherine. She grinned sheepishly.  
  
~* Well, you had to hear it sometime. ~* She thought back. ~* No time like the present. ~*  
  
"You suck." He said.   
  
"And so do you." She retorted.  
  
"You two are starting to really scare me." Ron said. "Did I miss something here?"  
  
"Yes-" Katherine started to say. Harry shook his head.   
  
~* Later. ~*  
  
~* Sure. ~*  
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
Weeks passed. Hermione went giddy when she heard exactly what Harry and Kat's conversation had been about, even though Harry * forgot * to mention that it had been a telepathic message conversation. Ron had tripped over his feet and done a face plant in the middle of the hall.   
  
"Harry?" Katherine peered over Harry's new edition of Quidditch Magazine so she could see his eyes.  
  
"Yeah?" Harry asked.  
  
"How's my dad?"  
  
"Good." Harry said absently, more concerned with the article on the Chudley Cannons.   
  
"He's written you then?"  
  
"Not lately."  
  
"So how do you know he's fine?"  
  
"If he was doing badly, he would write."  
  
"You are so insensitive. Send him a letter, will you?"  
  
"And ask him if he's got a kid?" Harry looked up at her.  
  
"God no!" She cried. "Just ask him how he's doing."  
  
"Um okay. Yeah I will."  
  
"Thank you!" She kissed him on his cheek. Parvati glared at her from the other side of the room. Katherine waved at her cheerfully and hurried up to the girl's dorms.   
  
That night Harry stayed up late, waiting until everybody was asleep. He sat up in bed when the last head hit the pillows and glanced over at his night table. Somehow he made them float silently over to him and he began composing a letter to Sirius:  
  
  
Snuffles,  
  
Hi. I'm sorry I haven't written you in a while…I've been busy. School's going pretty well. I love having my own car. I get away in it every once in a while. Of course Parvati and Padma wont stop asking me for rides, but anyways…! I was just wondering how you were doing…  
  
  
  
Harry decided he hated this letter. He made it hover up away from the bed and he dissolved it into flames. It crumpled into ashes which Harry dusted off the bed sheets before if burned a hole strait through it. He started again:  
  
Sirius,  
Hey, haven't heard from you in a while. Everything okay? Are you starving to death? I mean to say you ate rats once. No person should experience that joy more than once. You know I have no problems sending food. The house elves love giving me stuff. Seem to think I'm special for some reason…  
Hogwarts has recovered from my death finally and they are even letting me (gasp) play Quidditch. Somebody may think I was accident prone if that keeps happening. Speaking of Quidditch, I won my match yesterday. (It was against Hufflepuff.) Ginny and Lavender replaced Katie and Alicia this year. They're really good.   
There's a new girl this year at Hogwarts. I think you'd like her, Sirius. She's really - crazy. No, don't even ask me if we're dating. I'm not getting into that with you…  
Send me your news, okay?  
  
Harry Potter  
  
  
Harry, satisfied with the letter stuffed it into an envelope and put some sealing wax on. He would give it to Hedwig tomorrow morning at mail call.  
  



	6. Green Jeep Heaven?

Harry stared miserably out at the darkened gray sky. Hundreds of Hogwarts students were running down the hill to Hogsmeade. Harry sighed. If only he could join them.  
  
Dumbledore had been waiting at the door for Harry, just as he was about to get his car of his key ring. He held out a knobby, wrinkled old hand in front of him and said, "Sorry Harry, you cant go today."  
  
Katherine, Hermione and Ron had given him pity looks, but didn't want to stay in the castle and left. Harry had thrown Hermione the car and the keys and went up to the dorms.  
  
Somebody knocked on the door.  
  
"Are you decent?" It was McGonagall.   
  
"Always." Harry said and opened the door. "What's up?"  
  
"A letter for you." She handed a letter that had already been opened.  
  
"You checking my mail for something?" Harry raised an eyebrow.   
  
"I'm not, but the Headmaster is. Says he has a premonition…well this one's harmless." She turned to leave. Harry opened his mind to see if he could catch her thoughts. ~* I wonder if he'll think of using James's blasted cloak to get out…~*  
  
Harry grinned at the uptight Professor's back. Maybe she really was nice on the inside. But he decided to leave this for later and opened the letter.  
  
Dear Harry,  
I'm doing well, and it was nice to hear from you again. No, I'm not starving because I'm staying with Remus (That's Professor Lupin to you, though) and he's not too bad of a cook…for a werewolf. Yes, Remus I do see you reading this over my shoulder.   
  
Tell me more about this girl. Does she have potential? Oh and even though you told me not to meddle, I think you should find a girlfriend or boyfriend. No, don't give me that look, you know I'm just joking.   
  
Well, onto more serious manners. I'm afraid I have a twinge of bad news. Our favorite person (Peter) was spotted the other day, I don't know if you heard. But if he's active still it means so is Voldemort. So most likely your teachers are going to pen you in again. We can't have you dying again. I know you hate hearing this, but you need to watch your back and be careful these days. I'm sure he's got some even worse fate for you this time. And I needn't remind you that you are at risk.   
  
Maybe I'll see you sooner than you think,  
Snuffles   
  
  
  
  
(P.S. don't use your father's cloak to get out of the castle Harry. You're over using that trick.)  
  
  
  
  
Harry rolled his eyes and shut the letter. He loved hearing from Sirius, but it was true that he hated hearing about protection.   
  
Had Peter really been sighted? The thought made his stomach churn and his head spin.   
  
Or was that actually the thought making that happen.   
  
Harry wretched and threw up on the ground.  
  
Disgusted at his spinelessness he quickly cleaned it up magically. Somebody knocked on the door again and Harry quickly straitened up and looked as innocent as possible as the door opened.  
  
It was Dumbledore. Harry wondered why he was so tense.   
  
"I'm sorry that I couldn't let you got to Hogsmeade today, Harry." He began earnestly. "But I do have reasons. Peter Pet-"  
  
"I know." Harry waved the letter in the air. "Sirius told me all about it."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"So now what?"  
  
"Well, I suggest you burn the letter for starters."  
  
"I was just about to when you came in." Harry lied. He threw the envelope across the room and before it hit the ground he thought ~* Please burn ~* and it blew up. Dumbledore grinned and adjusted his glasses.  
  
"I see you still possess that power."  
  
"Yeah. I barely ever use it, but I have it."  
  
"It may come in handy some time." Dumbledore said, looking at where the letter had blown up. "Ashes?"  
  
"What? Oh- um." The trashcan flew across the room and a dustpan began sweeping ashes into it. Dumbledore looked slightly miffed. Not angry or confused just miffed.  
  
"Telekinetic?"  
  
"I guess so." Harry shrugged.  
  
"Well you must have gotten that from your mother." He pulled at his beard for a second and then continued. "Until we get more information about Wormtail, I'm afraid you are confined to the castle. That includes Quidditch."  
  
"WHAT?" Harry yelped and jumped up from the bed. Dumbledore nodded solemnly, avoiding his eyes. "I fail to see why Wormtail's sighting has anything to do with Quidditch!"   
  
"You can never be to safe." Dumbledore said. "Remember Professor Quirell. He tried to-"  
  
"But he's gone and my broom has an Anti-Hex in it!" Harry said.   
  
"You also fell off your broom in your third-"  
  
"That was when we had Dementors at school and I didn't know that Patronus!" Harry said.  
  
"And the Bludger in your second year-"  
  
"Was set off by Dobby because he didn't want me to get hurt by the Chamber of Secrets."  
  
"You have proved me wrong many times." Dumbledore said fairly. " But this is dangerous, Harry. You could die."  
  
"Hey I could die walking to my next class to if Crabbe stepped on me, but I still make it through everyday, don't I?"  
  
"I can't win with you." Dumbledore sighed. "I suppose we'll be up all night arguing over this."  
  
"Yes we will, or until I win. Which ever comes first."  
  
"Harry act your age." A stern voice said from the door. Harry forgot Quidditch for the moment to look up. He started a little as he realized it was a very heavily cloaked Sirius. His face was hiding behind a monstrous baraclava. Next to him has Professor Lupin looking perfectly happy and very shabby.   
  
"Hi Harry." He said. Harry blinked twice before realizing somebody was speaking to him. Harry smiled as he regained composure and shook his hand warmly   
  
"Hey." Harry said.   
  
Sirius was still looking cross at the fact that Harry was arguing with Dumbledore.  
  
"It happens a lot around here." Dumbledore said and shook hands with Lupin and then with Sirius. Sirius still didn't look reassured but embraced Harry anyways, ruffling his hair.  
  
"Still no growth spurt, eh?" He teased when he pulled away.  
  
Harry blushed and glared.  
  
"What're YOU doing here? Both of you!" He asked, his eyes shifty. Sirius looked a little guilty.  
  
"Well, first off aren't you GLAD we came?" Harry nodded, so he continued. "We were going to come next month but I was bored and so was Remus. So we- uh- left?"  
  
Harry grinned. "Just like that, eh?"  
  
"I can't believe I'm getting this from you." Sirius said and shook his head.   
  
Remus was still beaming. "I'm glad to be back. Ever since Malfoy got kicked off the board they've been wanting me to teach again…"  
  
"What are you going to teach?"  
  
"What do you think?" Sirius said.  
  
"Oh shut up both of you." Remus snapped.  
  
"He will be replacing Madame Hooch, actually."   
  
Sirius glared at his friend. "You told me you were going to teach Defense against the-"  
  
"No, you assumed that, Padfoot." Lupin said.  
  
"So what are you doing here then?" Harry asked, half dreading the answer.  
  
"I taking back my old position of body guard."  
  
Harry looked exasperatedly at Dumbledore who smiled innocently. "Harry I was going to strike a deal with you before they came in."  
  
"And?" Harry said.  
  
"AND, I was going to say that if you agree to a bodyguard, you can play on the team."  
  
"Well…" Harry weighed his options delicately.   
  
"Oh, hurry up." Sirius whined in a dog like manor. Harry gave up and sighed.  
  
"Fiiiiiinnnnnnneeeeee. Be that way."   
  
Sirius and Lupin grinned. The door suddenly swung open and Sirius quickly made himself a dog. Lupin jumped and Dumbledore was his normal calm.   
  
Harry's stomach lurched horribly when he saw that it was Katherine. He didn't know if he was going to be sick again or if it was the fact that Katherine was face to face with her father without knowing it.  
  
Suddenly they both barfed at the same time.   
  
Lupin burst out laughing and Sirius was looking from her to Harry and then back again. Dumbledore was still looking calm and cleaned up the mess.  
  
"Synchronized Spewing?" Lupin asked, gasping for breath.  
  
"Yeah, I've been feeling gross all day." Katherine admitted slowly.  
  
"Me too." Harry said.  
  
~* Who knew that I was allergic to peanut butter Bertie Botts? ~* She thought to Harry innocently.  
  
~* So you were the reason I threw up just now? ~*  
  
~* Yeah, Sorry! ~*  
  
"You'd better be." Harry said out loud. ~* Oh shit ~*  
  
~* Smooth ~*  
  
~* Why don't you rub it in a little more? ~*  
  
~* They're staring, dope head. Smile! ~*  
  
"Professor Lupin, I'd like you to meet my friend Katherine Stuart." Harry said uncomfortably, looking at Katherine and Sirius with guilt.  
  
"Nice to meet you." Lupin shook hands with her.   
  
"You too. And who is this?" She put on a baby face and scratched behind Sirius's ears to Harry's absolute horror.   
  
~* Don't do that! ~*  
  
~* Why not? He's really cute! ~*  
  
"Katherine this is Snuffles." Harry said and snatched her hand away silently. ~* Are you mad? ~*  
  
~* Yes! Why can't I pet the dog? ~*  
  
~* He's not really a dog, dip shit. ~*  
  
"Oh really?" She said out loud and blanched. ~* Damn! ~*  
  
~* You're not living that one down. ~*  
  
~* Whatever. ~*  
  
"Am I missing something?" Lupin asked.  
  
"Not really." Katherine said with a quick glare. ~* Tell me why I can't touch the dog! ~*  
  
"Later, Katherine. I'll explain later."  
  
Dumbledore was looking at them oddly. "You two can talk later, Harry is right. Will you excuse us a few minutes, Katherine?"  
  
"Sure?" She looked puzzled and ducked out of the room and Lupin replaced the door.  
  
"Harry, Snuffles will be staying here for a while until this all blows over okay?"  
  
"Yeah. That's fine." Harry said. "Just peachy."  
  
"Can I go clean out Madame Hooch's office? She is leaving today, isn't she?"  
  
"Yes she is retiring today." Dumbledore said.  
  
"I'll be off then. See you Harry, Dumbledore, MUTT."  
  
Sirius growled.  
  
"I think I'll be off to." Dumbledore said. "Remember. You stick to the castle, Harry."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Not whatever, you will do it."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Have a good day." He left with Lupin.   
  
"Can I come in now?" Katherine called from outside.  
  
"Yes."   
  
"Can we talk about this now?"  
  
"No."  
  
'Why not?"  
  
~* The walls have ears! ~*  
  
"I only see a dog, Harry. Are you going crazy on me?"  
  
~* Not a dog, Kat. Nothing close to a dog. ~*   
  
~* Yeah? Well what is it then? ~*  
  
~* Promise not to kill me? ~*  
  
~* No. ~*  
  
~* Oh grrr! ~*  
  
~* Just tell me! ~*  
  
~* It's, well…this is going to come as a shock to you… but. ~*  
  
"JUST SPIT IT OUT!"  
  
~* That's Sirius Black. ~* Harry said and winced. ~* My godfather, your FATHER. ~*  
  
"I am so going to kill you. You couldn't even tell me, eh?"   
  
"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see-"  
  
"The hell you weren't!"  
  
"Seriously!" Harry cried. ~* Do you want me to introduce you to him? ~*  
  
"NO!"  
  
"You don't have to scream."  
  
"Yes I do. You are an idiot, Harry!"  
  
"I had no control over this!"  
  
Sirius barked to silence them. Harry listened in on Sirius's thoughts for a second. ~* They sound like an old married couple bickering like that…~*  
  
"WE ARE NOT ACTING LIKE AN OLD MARRIED COUPLE!" They both shouted to Sirius at the same time.  
  
~* What the fuck? ~* Sirius thought fervently. Harry was shocked to hear him curse, just as Katherine obviously was. He had just never pictured Sirius cussing.  
  
Katherine had dissolved into exasperated tears.  
  
"Telepathic, Siri - Snuffles. She is too."  
  
~* That's screwed up! Don't listen to my thoughts! ~*  
  
"I don't try to. Neither of us does. It just happens."  
  
~* Who is she? ~* Sirius wondered. At this Katherine began sobbing louder.   
  
"Later." Harry said. "I don't want to deal with this now."   
  
Sirius barked again and cursed in his mind.   
  
"Katherine, why'd you come back from Hogsmeade?" Harry asked.  
  
"I dunno, Harry. I was feeling crappy and sick and I had a feeling something was happening."  
  
"Do you feel any better now?"  
  
"Worse." She moaned. "Why did you have to drop this on me now?"  
  
"You think I meant to? And plus if I didn't, I would have a very guilty conscience."  
  
"You think so, eh?" She said. Kat looked at Harry for a long time. "How could anybody stay mad at you for long?"  
  
"Um." Harry said. Katherine hugged him.  
  
"You're to nice."  
  
"You're getting my shirt wet." Harry said gruffly. "Now listen. Kat, if you don't confront the problem now, when will you?"  
  
"I was hoping you would-" She broke off and looked at the dog. ~* I was hoping that you would tell him sometime. I don't have the guts. ~*   
  
"Yeah, I suppose I could." Harry said with a sigh. "You do so have the guts Kat. Just look at the house you're in."  
  
"I suppose, but you will, wont you?"  
  
"Yes, I will." Harry squirmed as she hugged him again and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"See you. I'm going to go to Pomfrey and get some medicine. Bye Harry and- Snuffles."  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
"You told her." Sirius accused when Harry had locked the door. "She knows."  
  
"She had to find out sometime."  
  
"She could betray the friendship and tell my whereabouts to the entire world! Harry! I should've bitten you!"  
  
"What, and spoil the whole 'second- father' thing? I don't think you would've."  
  
"Hey looking at me now you wouldn't think I would have ripped up the fat lady and broken Ron's leg either."  
  
"She wouldn't do that to me. Or you for that matter."  
  
"Oh sure. What has she got for me?" Sirius was looking cross again.   
  
"Sirius, were you ever married?"  
  
"What?" The question took him off guard.  
  
"Were you ever married?"  
  
"What does THAT have to do with anything?"  
  
"Everything. Just answer the question."  
  
"Well, yes I was, a long, LONG time ago."  
  
"So what happened after the whole Azkaban thing."  
  
"Duh, Harry. We got divorced. Who would want a husband in Azkaban? I would have divorced me to."  
  
"Did you have any kids?"  
  
"I don't think I like where this is going."  
  
"Answer me!"  
  
"What got stuck up you're…. Yeah, one kid, okay?"  
  
"Okay. And have you ever met her?"  
  
"How did you know she was a girl."  
  
"Is a girl you mean?"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"No." Harry said. "I'm trying to tell you something. You asked, 'What does she have for me?' And I'm telling you Sirius!" Sirius had gone a nasty pale. "That girl, is Katherine Stuart-Black."  
  
"Shit Harry." Sirius said. "If you are trying to be funny this is not the time do it."  
  
"I'm not laughing," Harry said dryly, "Are you?"  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
"Hi H-Harry?" Hermione said to innocently when they arrived back from Hogsmeade. "Um- h- how was your day?"  
  
"Perfectly horrible, and yours?"  
  
"Um." Hermione said.  
  
"Is that Snuffles by the fire?" Ron asked suddenly.  
  
"Yeah." Harry said. "He's my body guard. AGAIN."  
  
"Oh well, good to have him back." Hermione said and played with her fingers.  
  
"Hermione, you were telling about your day?" Katherine said, prompting her.  
  
"Oh…yeah…right. Are you in a good mood?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You are really going laugh really hard when you hear this." She shifter nervously in her chair. "You see, we were driving in your car, Ron and me and…some guy pulled out in front of us and slammed on his breaks at a stop sign. One of the stop signs that's optional and well I didn't see it a first so…" Hermione's voice was getting quieter and higher by the second. "And we- uh ran into him. Hope you had a good day, Harry got to go now!"  
  
And she started to walk away briskly.  
  
"YOU WHAT?" Harry bellowed and the hall went deadly quiet. "YOU WHAT?"  
  
"Harry I'm really sorry." Hermione said. "But it was the guy in front of us who's at fault! He-"  
  
"STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN! HERMIONE MARIE GRANGER, STOP RIGHT THERE!"   
  
"I'll pay for the new engine Harry, I will!"  
  
"YOUR GODDAMN RIGHT YOU WILL!"  
  
"Please don't yell at me."  
  
"I trusted you with that car Hermione."  
  
"I know and I'm sorry."  
  
"Where is it now?"  
  
"The shop."  
  
"And how bad was it?"  
  
"Totaled."   
  
Harry whimpered. He loved that car.   
  
"And the other car you ran into?"  
  
"The same."  
  
"Thank god you're okay." Harry said and opened his arms to her. She ran and hugged him. "But you are still paying for the damage."  
  
She grinned into his hair.   
  



	7. Midnight Mischief

A/N: Sorry, this chapter turned into a song fic for some reason. So I think I only put in two or three stanzas of a song, but if it makes not sense to you, just skip it because it isn't like major to the plot, it just makes it more dramatic for some reason, even though it doesn't contribute. But all you people who have ever enjoyed Fiona Apple; this one's for you!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
And I went crazy again today   
Looking for a strand to climb  
Looking for a little hope  
I said, "honey I don't feel so good,   
Don't feel justified  
Come on put a little love into my void."  
He said, "It's all in your head!"  
And I said, "So's everything."  
But he didn't get it  
I thought he was a man   
But he was just a little boy.  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
  
  
  
Katherine stared at the great shaggy dog with a weary eye. The days had grown uncomfortable and she was growing restless. Matters didn't help when she had been trying to find Harry and had overheard a conversation in the locker rooms between Sirius and him.  
  
She silently scolded herself for running away. ~* Running away like a scared horse *~ She told herself gently. Katherine broke the stare and went back to Hermione, who was chatting happily about her grade on the last test.  
  
"I can't believe I got a hundred and four percent," She said, her eyes sparkling. "I barely studied."  
  
"Oh right, Mya (and I will be calling you that now)! You studied for weeks!" She said and wrinkled her nose in disgust.  
  
"Mya?"  
  
"Yes, Mya. You know Her- MYA- nee! It works, I swear. Plus, Hermione is a mouthful of a name. Simplify and grow."   
  
"You are strange."  
  
"I wouldn't be talking."  
  
"Can I sit down or is this girl talk?" Seamus asked. He had been wandering around from group to group all morning.   
  
"Come, join the grotto." Katherine said and gestured to the little empty circle of chairs.  
  
Seamus grinned evilly and plopped down on her lap. Pretending to be quite content he yawned and stretched while Katherine squirmed to get him off.   
  
"Who do I get to sit on?" Ron asked, coming down the stairs and joining them.  
  
"I'm taken!" Katherine said in a muffled voice from behind Seamus's back.  
  
Hermione blushed.  
  
"No, I wouldn't do that to you." Ron said with a slight shake of the head and plopped down in a chair next to her.  
  
"Okay- I am so not feeling the love here." Lavender whined and sat down. Seamus (who had it bad for her) immediately stopped pinning Kat down and went to go sit by her.   
  
Neville, who had been struggling with homework in a corner now joined them too. Dean, who was trying to help him with the homework, followed shaking his head and looking back over his shoulder at bunt up pile of that had once been his Charms book.  
  
"Neville, you don't add that extra syllable in the spell, Ovegrantium…oops." His wand emitted puffs of strange smelling perfume. "See?" He recovered and continued, "That's what's supposed to happen."  
  
"I tried." Neville shrugged.   
  
"Who are we missing?"   
  
"Parvati and Harry."  
  
"I'm here." Parvati sat next to Seamus.  
  
"Where's Harry?"  
  
"With the dog." Parvati said. "I just don't get it. Snuffles is just a dog. How does he just sit there with a dog…alone…for more than a half an hour?"  
  
"Another mystery." Neville said flatly.  
  
"Maybe it's not a dog…" Lavender said suddenly, her eyes sparkling. "Maybe it's- uh- maybe it's actually a real body guard who is an unlisted animagus!"  
  
Everybody laughed some more nervously than others.  
  
"I think it could be." Seamus said thoughtfully. " I mean, I swear that dog actually understands us sometimes."  
  
"Maybe it's just smart." Hermione said with staged innocence.  
  
"Yeah, a lot of Wizarding dogs are really smart." Ron ventured, looking shifty.  
  
"That is true." Parvati said. "I had a dog once that could jump 15 feet in the a- hi Harry!"  
  
"Hey." Harry sat down. "Talking about me?"  
  
"Oh yeah." Katherine said. "We were gossiping all about you…we said-"  
  
"That I'm fat?" Harry retorted with fake exasperation.  
  
"What?" Parvati asked, laughing. "We were only talking about-"  
  
"Yo Mamma!" Harry finished. Katherine shook her head.  
  
"Crazy." She muttered. "Absolutely crazy."  
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
  
  
Winter melted into spring and the days grew longer and warmer. Quidditch matches were starting to be every weekend and Voldemort's attacks were hard to come by. Fear was fading and hope was rising. Harry was almost sure Dumbledore would be letting him out of the castle for something other than Quidditch practice.   
  
But he didn't relent.  
  
Harry was getting sick and tired of the castle for the first time in his life. It made no sense to him because he had always loved the castle and it was like a home to him.   
  
But on the other hand, you would be sick of something to if you were stuck inside it for over two months.  
  
He forced himself not to even look at the hump backed Witch when he passed it to get to Transfiguration. He never dug around in his trunk so he could avoid seeing the invisibility cloak. And he kept his newly fixed car in a pair of Vernon's old socks so he wasn't tempted to just ride away.  
  
So many escape plans were useless. So many chances to get away gone to waste. And Harry knew he shouldn't leave that night when everybody was asleep in the dorm, but he did it. He hated himself for it, but he did it.   
  
He sat up in bed one night. Sirius was asleep in his doggie bed growling softly in his sleep and Neville was covering up Harry's footfalls with his loud snores. It was a perfect plan.  
  
He tiptoed down the stairs and walked into the common room. Nobody was there thankfully and he went on. He made it to the Fat Lady.  
  
"You must be crazy." Said a quiet, flat voice from the other side of the round room. Harry, half covered with the invisibility cloak turned around to see Katherine.  
  
"Crazy?"  
  
"Crazy not to even think of waking me up." She winked and walked silently over to him.  
  
"How did you know?" Harry asked.  
  
Katherine smiled and pointed to her eyes and then to his.  
  
"You know- the telepathic thing we have going for us."  
  
"Oh. Don't listen to my thoughts. That's evil."  
  
"I'm evil…what can I say?" She shrugged.  
  
"Are you going to tell on me?"  
  
"How old are you, 8? I just want to come with."  
  
"Okay fine then. It might be a squeeze but if you can fit in here you're welcome to come with me."  
  
"I think we can make it."  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*   
  
"Watch out for the bump." Harry warned as they climbed the stairs.   
  
"What?" Katherine asked. With a * SMACK * her head thumped the trap door that lead them into the candy store. "Oh…" She continued faintly. "That bump."   
  
"Shhh- shh!" Harry pressed a finger to her mouth. "The owners live on the upper level. We have to be very, very quiet."  
  
"It's wabbit season. We have to be vewy vewy quiet." She said, impersonating Elmer Fudd. Harry chuckled silently and then making sure no sound could be heard from the outside, pushed up the trap door.  
  
"Cool huh?" Harry asked. Kat nodded and took the hand offered to help her out.   
  
"Is there a party going on in there or something?" Katherine wondered. Harry looked at her oddly.  
  
"Party?"  
  
"Listen!"  
  
"Okay. Shut it!" Harry strained his ears and sure enough there was a racket behind the thick oak door leading out of the storeroom.  
  
"Let's go see." Katherine whined.  
  
~* Don't talk out loud. ~*  
  
~* Good thinking ~*  
  
~* That was a horrible pun Kat. ~*  
  
~* Sorry. Come on budge up! ~*  
  
~* You sound like you're from England now. ~*  
  
~* It's rubbing off on me. ~*  
  
They walked up the stairs into the main room. Harry was shocked at the sight he saw. The candy shelves were gone and they had been replaced with a bar and scantily dressed women handing out alcoholic beverages to men.  
  
~* Now who would have guessed that? ~* Kat thought disgustedly. ~* Harry let's get out of here. ~*   
  
~* What? Oh. Uh- sure. ~* Harry tore his eyes away from the scene and led her out of the store.   
  
~* That's horrible. A burlesque house…in THIS town? ~*  
  
~* It seems to be so. ~*  
  
~* Oh you enjoyed that I expect. ~*  
  
~* Actually, I was more startled. ~*  
  
~* Sure…even you aren't THAT innocent. ~*  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Harry retorted out loud.  
  
~* It means, dip shit, that you have nothing bad on your record. What have you done that's horrible? Tell me! ~*  
  
~* I snuck out of the castle in my third year and hit Malfoy…that brainless git…in the back of the head with mud. ~*  
  
~* Oh whoopee. ~*  
  
~* I uh- cheated in the Triwizard Tournament. I got outside help. ~*  
  
~* Everybody cheats in the Triwizard Tournament, Harry. ~*  
  
~* I cheated on every single one of my Divination Quizzes. ~*  
  
~* We all do that, but you are getting better ~*  
  
~* I made a glass disappear at a zoo and had a boa constrictor chase my cousin and his friend. ~*  
  
~* That has potential. ~*  
  
~* That's it. ~*  
  
~* Okay, you aren't that clean but you aren't anywhere close to being bad. ~*  
  
~* Oh, what have you done that's so horrible? ~*  
  
~* In America I made a love potion that would make you be attracted to this ugly boy who worked in the cafeteria and slipped it in my worst enemy's chocolate milk. ~*  
  
~* That's mean. ~*  
  
~* The boy loved it…. Once I - ~*  
  
~* Just remembered something. We made an illegal potion and snuck into the Slytherin Common room. ~*  
  
~* That's cool. Once I got mad at my step dad and I dyed my hair neon green with bright pink streaks and pretended to be addicted to cigarettes. It was a hoot. ~*  
  
~* That isn't too bad. ~*  
  
~* It was still really funny. ~*  
  
~* You are strange. ~*  
  
~* You aren't like any boy I've ever met. ~*  
  
"What?" Harry blurted out.  
  
"I mean to say that nobody else I know would forgive a friend in less than five minutes after ruining his car."  
  
"She paid for the replacements."  
  
"And you paid half of it."  
  
"She was short on money. She owes me 450 galleons."  
  
"Ooh. But even so, Harry you're not judgmental at all."  
  
"Um- Kat? Have you seen me and Malfoy?"  
  
"Okay he deserves to be judged. You are smart and funny-"  
  
Harry snorted loudly and said, "Hardly."  
  
"Harry, you don't seem to understand that I'm flirting." Kat said. They were far out of town, and making sure nobody was around she took off the cloak.   
  
"I knew that." Harry said and studied his shoes. "I just don't know if we should get involved in a-"  
  
"Just shut up and kiss me." Katherine said and drew him up by the lapels and kissed him full on the mouth. Harry regained balance before returning the gesture. His brain buzzed with comments like, 'why do I never make the first move?' and 'If she digs her nails any harder into my back I'm going to bleed.'  
  
Something barked very loudly but they continued on as if they hadnt noticed. The something barked again.   
  
Katherine muttered, "Shut up."  
  
"I'm not talking," Harry said and moved down her neck momentarily before finding her lips again.  
  
Something was pulling at the hem of Harry's robes.  
  
"I wasn't talking to- oh shit!" She said against his lips. She glanced down to see an angry shaggy black dog pulling madly at Harry's robes. Harry looked down and cursed as well. They pulled apart, blushing up a storm.  
  
"She was suffocating…" Harry began.  
  
"And then I tripped and fell and I just happened to fall right on his lips…"  
  
"And then I thought we heard thunder, and we're both terrified of that so we gripped each other for safety…"  
  
"And then--"  
  
Sirius barked for silence and then in an instant he was a man again and was scowling.  
  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT- HARRY POTTER I WAS TOLD YOU HAD STRICT ORDERS TO STAY IN THE CASTLE AND YOU!" He pointed at his daughter. "YOU COMING WITH HIM LIKE THAT WHEN YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I'M VERY DISSAPOINTED YOU TWO, VERY DISAPOINTED! SNEAKING AWAY ON A SCHOOL NIGHT AND WITHOUT EVEN TELLING ANYBODY WHERE YOU WERE GOING! RON AND HERMIONE WERE IN FITS OVER YOU TWO! THEY WOKE ME UP! SEEMED TO THINK I MIGHT KNOW WHERE YOU TWO HAD GONE. AND I HAD TO DIG THROUGH YOU THINGS HARRY TO FIND THAT BLASTED MAP TO FIND YOU! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD PUT US THROUGH ALL THIS TROUBLE- JUST TO HAVE ME CATCH YOU TWO MAKING OUT! I'M DISGUSTED AT THAT DISPLAY!"   
  
He ranted on for what seemed to be hours. It was only when Katherine stormed away when he stopped yelling.  
  
"Sirius." Harry held a hand in front of his godfather's chest to hold him back. "I think I should handle this one, okay?"  
  
"Leave." Sirius said and waved him away. He began muttering about teenagers as he left.   
  
"Kat- wait." Harry said and jogged to catch up to her. He grabbed her wrist to hold her back. "Don't worry about him. He's supposed to be guarding me. We are at fault here I suppose… and me running away when I'm in danger like this wasn't smart. Plus-"  
  
"God Harry, you think I'm upset that I got caught making out with you?"  
  
"Well-"  
  
"I'm upset because this is the first time I've ever even seen my real father up close and he's already chewing me out." She looked into his eyes. "Just let me go. I don't care if I get in trouble back at school. I'll make your excuses if you want. Just let me go. Let- go- of- me!"  
  
Sirius ran up to them just as Katherine began to leave again. He put a hand on her shoulder. She stopped and glared at him viciously.  
  
"Don't touch me." She hissed and walked briskly down the road they were on. Sirius stared at her retreating back.  
  
"What was that all about?"  
  
"Later Sirius. Later." Harry scooped up his cloak and ran down to walk with Kat. Sirius blinked and they were gone. Unnerved by Katherine and Harry's response to his concern for their safety Sirius turned into a dog and decided to spend the night howling at the moon with the wolves.   
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*   
Hunger hurts, and I want it, so bad  
Oh it kills  
Cause I know I'm a mess   
You don't wanna clean up  
I've got to fold cause   
These hands are too shaky  
To hold   
Hunger hurts. But Starvin'  
It works  
When it calls too much to love.  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
  
A/N: Okay- that would be the awkward chapter. I dunno if you've read my story called The Love Children, but if you have you know the kids in that book accept their father in two seconds. So I decided to "write out of the box" and make her and Sirius not get along. At all. Anyway, if you don't like how I added all the Fiona Apple in there, please don't include that in your reviews because I really don't know if I like it either, But if you did, please tell me and maybe I'll add more.   
  
Credits: I'm going to thank some people right now, okay? Krazy Kris and someone2 have been cool, along with NoReply and Malena. I'd also like to thank Katy Burrito for being a cool bean (oh the puns!) and also Rishi Khiara and Idgit. So you should check some of these people's stories out because they're cool, okay?  



	8. Welcome To The Dark Side

"Harry, where were you?" Hermione demanded. "Katherine why did you follow him?"  
  
"I'm bored here." They answered together. Ron, Hermione stared at them.  
  
"Where is it written in stone 'Harry Potter and Katherine Stuart- Black cannot visit Hogsmeade'?" Katherine asked fairly.  
  
" But in the middle of the night?"  
  
"Why not the middle of the night?" Harry asked. "You don't get sunburned at night, you aren't as easily seen at night, you don't have to deal with crowds at ni-"  
  
"HARRY! It's against the rules." Hermione said.  
  
"Oh cry, cry. Hermione- you break the rules too."   
  
"Nothing that bad." She said pointedly. "C'mon Ron, let's go to bed."  
  
Harry and Katherine burst out laughing as Ron followed Hermione up the staircase to her room.  
  
"NOT LIKE THAT RON! IN YOUR OWN DORM!" Hermione screeched.  
  
"It was worth a try." Ron said with a shrug and sat down next to Harry. "So what's up in Hogsmeade these nights? Is the burlesque house still up in the candy store?"  
  
"You knew about that?" Katherine asked. "I think it's horrible."  
  
"It is, it is." Ron reassured her and winked at Harry. "Don't tell Hermione, but you're not the only person who has snuck out of the castle at night."  
  
"I figured." Harry said.   
  
"Did you really freak out? When you found out we were gone I mean?" Katherine asked.  
  
"Hermione was going crazy about you two, and lets face it…Pettigrew scares the crap out of me not to mention You- Know- Who and we almost lost you once. I felt obligated."  
  
"To tell Sirius you mean?" Harry asked saving Ron embarrassment. Ron nodded.  
  
"I guess it's okay. Really awkward…but it's okay." Katherine said.  
  
"How is Sirius awkward?"  
  
"Um." Katherine said.  
  
"He came at the wrong time."  
  
"He caught you two snogging didn't he?" When all he received for answers were blushes his guesses were confirmed. "I wouldn't call that awkward, it would just be embarrassing. Ha! You idiots."  
  
"None of that!" Harry snapped. "It's a full moon and it's pretty outside."  
  
"So you just sat there snogging on a hill until Sirius caught you?" He laughed loudly.  
  
Harry was blushing but Katherine seemed to be rather composed.  
  
"And don't think he didn't chew us out." Harry said.  
  
"Wait- how could a dog chew you- OH!" He said realizing.  
  
"That is why I said awkward." Katherine said.  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*   
  
Harry and Katherine's romance wasn't even noticed by the students. This was probably because Sirius (who had been rather against the relationship from the start) was always in their way so it was hard to find times when they were completely alone to do the dating thing. At best they caught a few very quick pecks on the cheek in between periods. But even then Sirius would nip at his heels.  
  
"I'm a teenager." Harry explained to Sirius hotly one day when the dorm was empty and locked. "I have a girlfriend. I think that I should be able to-"  
  
"No." Sirius said flatly. "Not with my kid."  
  
"You need to let it go, Sirius. We probably would have ended up dating even if you weren't here."  
  
"So?" Sirius said. "I'm not letting you."  
  
"There isn't anything you can do about it. I don't have to ask a father's permission to date his daughter. We aren't Russia in the 1900's."  
  
"Were you even going out when I caught you?"  
  
"Why does it matter? We were going to be 'going out' soon anyways."  
  
"Answer."  
  
"No, we weren't dating at the time."  
  
"Harry Potter I can't believe that you would kiss-"  
  
"Oh for crying out loud! You aren't telling me you never made out with a girl when you were 16 Sirius!" When he got no answer Harry continued. "Why are you so upset? Kissing is as natural as breathing…"  
  
"YES! But not with my kid."  
  
"Let it be Sirius. I'm dating 'your kid' weather you like it or not. Why don't you ask her? She'll say the same thing that it isn't your business about who we date and that the feeling we have for each other is mutual. Sirius, seriously you are blowing this all way out of proportion!"   
  
"You won't let me win!" Sirius fumed. "I won't talk to you until you're willing to talk like a civilized adult." He turned into a dog again.  
  
"You are the one who isn't civilized!" Harry said loudly and stormed out of the room and down the stairs.  
  
"Harry…!" Katherine jogged after him as he walked swiftly out of the common room. "Wait! Slow down! What's wrong?"  
  
"Him." He jutted his thumb in the direction of the common room. "He can't seem to let it penetrate his skull that we are dating and he does not have to be included in the decision."  
  
"Oh." She said. When Harry started turning bright red with anger she put a hand on his shoulder. "Harry hush. It'll work out sooner or later."  
  
"Or later." Harry repeated dully and faced her. Her hand, which had been limply placed on his shoulder, was now on his chest when he turned. Her fingers tugged the sword necklace out of his robes.   
  
"Katherine, what're you doing?" Harry asked as she leaned close to it as if she was a member of Quality Control. Her eyes soon lost their sparkle, leaving them as dull as a piece of chocolate. Harry's eyes widened. "Are you okay? Katherine?"  
  
"I feel power…returning to me…power…I must kill…" A deep, rich alto voice escaped her lips and she gripped the sword tightly in her fist. Harry shook her very hard.  
  
"Snap out of it Kat!" He said in a shaky voice.   
  
"Come to me." Suddenly and stiffly, like a robot her head snapped up to look at him. She pressed her free hand to his forehead and Harry felt a weird energy bolt go through his body. Katherine's arms dropped from his forehead and his necklace. "Come my Prince, see how good it is to have power."  
  
Harry picked up her hand numbly and kissed it. "As you wish my lady." He kept her hand after if had left his lips.  
  
"Shall we go back to our rightful places now, my lord?" Katherine was still talking in the silky alto voice. Harry didn't notice that he was speaking with a much deeper voice than his usual tenor.   
  
"Yes my lady, we should." Harry said.  
  
Kat's body seized up at the same moment as Harry's did.  
  
"D-did I say something?" She asked.  
  
"I can't remember. Did I?" Harry asked massaging his temples.  
  
"I don't remember." Katherine sighed. "We're a pair aren't we? Can't remember a blasted thing…"  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
Harry had a fitful sleep that night. Ron and Seamus were sitting awake listening to him as he tossed and turned in his bed, terrified.   
  
"Ron?" Seamus said in a barely audible whisper. "What's going on?"  
  
"He's speaking another language I think." Ron said.  
  
"That doesn't sound like a language to me." Seamus confided.  
  
"Parseltounge."  
  
Harry tossed in his sleep violently, and the mood of his dreams changing.  
  
He was in Voldemort's meeting room and all of the Death Eaters were present, including Snape. Voldemort signaled for silence.  
  
"The first step in our new attack is complete." He said.   
  
"What will we do now?" On member ventured.   
  
"Wait, Perkins, we will wait. When the time is right, I will attack Hogwarts. Potter and the girl Black are of no worry to us."  
  
"That's what he always says…" One muttered.  
  
"Grimm! I will not tolerate this."  
  
"I'm sorry my lord." Grimm said quickly. "But you said you had it all figured out last time and it didn't work."  
  
"Grimm, my dear man! I have a foolproof system. Potter has always meddled his way into our affairs, this is true but I have a new motto. If you can't beat them, have them join you."  
  
  
Harry woke up with a yell. Sirius barked and jumped up on Harry's bed and his eyes asked 'what happened?'  
  
"Nothing Snuffles, nothing." He said and petted the dog's head blindly, temporarily disabled without his glasses and them with the vision still fading from his eyes.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Well kids, I know this is a rather short chapter but so much happened that I couldn't write anymore. I'll make it up by writing a new chapter faster, okay? In the meantime I'm giving out my thanks again (to only one new person so you dont have to read an entire list again). I should like to thank 'Herm' (yes that is her sign name, but she is not a registered member) because of her continual support of the "Heir Series." Thank you all so much again for reviewing the lot of these stories and do keep up the good work!  
  
Thank you much,  
Tadariada   
  
  
  



	9. A Feeling of Foreboding

"Who are we missing?" Harry asked nervously the morning before the 2nd Quidditch Match against Ravenclaw. Amelia shrugged along with several others.  
  
"Ginny's gone." Said a new second year on the team, Devin. "She said she was really sorry, but she was feeling more than a little sick."  
  
Harry cursed under his breath. Ginny was pretty good and the team was a lot more organized and confident when she was around.   
  
"Well? What do we do?" Amelia asked. "Forfeit the game?"  
  
"Are you mad?" Harry snapped at her. "Forfeit against Slytherin?"  
  
"And you're suggestions are...?"  
  
"Devin? I want you to go into the stands and get one of my friends."  
  
"Which one?" The younger boy asked, looking confused and tickled to have a special assignment.  
  
"Any of them except Hermione...she's useless on a broom." Harry sighed. "Don't tell her I said that."  
  
"Sure...." Devin hurried out of the room.   
  
"What's the plan Coach?" Amelia nudged him with her elbow.  
  
"Well some of my friends sit in on our practice sessions! They might have to stand in for Gin-"  
  
"Hey!" Lupin had entered the room. "Harry, what's going on? You guys are taking forever!"  
  
"Sorry Professor but we have to find an alternate. Ginny's sick!"  
  
"Oh I see. Damn!" Harry laughed as Lupin blushed and said quickly, "You never heard that. I wanted Ravenclaw to go down so much too…"  
  
"Don't we all?" Amelia sighed.   
  
"Devin's coming." Harry said. "Wait...is that-? Katherine!"  
  
"Hey Harry. Heard you needed a replacement." Katherine sauntered in the locker room and sat down next to Harry.  
  
"Not me personally." He said and draped an arm around her shoulder.  
  
"I surmised as much. Ginny isn't here?"  
  
"No. She's sick. I didn't know you played."  
  
"All my life!"  
  
"Um..." Lupin cleared his throat.  
  
"Sorry." Harry stood up again, a little nervous now that his girlfriend was watching him. "Well you all know the plans. Remember when we go into the v formation I need you guys to-"  
  
"Not to curve the point because we aren't making a u." They all chorused.  
  
Harry blushed slightly. "Don't forget! We need this match to get into the cup!"  
  
"We know." Amelia said. "God knows how many times you've told us."  
  
"You're turning into a regular Oliver Wood." Seamus teased.   
  
"Okay, ready?" Harry asked and everybody nodded. The team put their hands together shouted 'GRYFFINDOR' and walked confidently out of the locker rooms.   
  
Cheers arose in the stands when they walked out from the hundreds of Gryffindor students. Ravenclaw had a formidable team this year and even some of the Slytherins were cheering the Gryffindors today. The Ravenclaws had a secret weapon against Harry this year: Cho.  
  
"Captains shake hands." Lupin commanded. Harry and Cho walked to each other and braced their hands together in a less than friendly way.  
  
"You're going down Potter." Cho mumbled, barely moving her lips.   
  
"You would think that wouldn't you?" Harry sneered.  
  
"You're cute when you're angry."  
  
"Wish I could say the same for you."  
  
Cho looked disgusted and dropped his hand. Harry, feeling he had won the argument jogged back to his team.   
  
"Mount your brooms...three...two...one...GO!" Lupin set off a crack like a whip with his wand and broomsticks shot up into the air to the tremulous applause and cheers.   
  
Cho was behind Harry as soon as she could manage. "Harry?" She yelled behind him.  
  
He whipped his broom around to see who it was.  
  
"What?" He focused back on the game.   
  
"How are you?"  
  
"Fine." He zoomed off to the other side of the field, looking for the golden glint that would lead him to the Snitch.   
  
"Do you think I'm pretty?" Cho cooed, trying to catch up to him. Harry halted.  
  
"Cho?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"DO THE WORDS: GO F*CK UP A TREE MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?"  
  
"No, but good idea."  
  
"GRYFFINDOR SCORES!" Dean bellowed through the megaphone below them. "Captain and seeker Harry Potter of Gryffindor and Captain and seeker of Ravenclaw Cho Chang have a bitch fight up above us and Gryffindor has taken the ball from David Redmond, Ravenclaw chaser who was stupid enough to look at Potter and Chang who are still fighting…"  
  
Laughter and cheers flew up at Harry and Cho.   
  
"Get away from me." Harry said red as a beet and sped away as fast as his Firebolt could take him. Cho couldn't catch up to him.  
  
"Aww...Ravenclaw scores and the quaffle is taken immediately by replacement chaser Katherine Stuart of Ravenclaw. She passes to Amelia back again and then back again and then-"  
  
"THROW IT IN THE HOOP!" Harry flew fifteen feet above them and yelled.   
  
"What? Oh-" Katherine dunked it.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR SCORES! Thanks to the excellent bit of help by their captain, Harry Potter Gryffindor pulls ahead forty to 20!"  
  
"Kiss my ass Cho!" Harry yelled as Cho zoomed past him.   
  
"Gladly!"  
  
"HARRY POTTER!" Katherine had rounded on him. "Are you flirting with her?"  
  
"No. I'm rubbing it in her face." Harry pointed to Cho (who was watching Harry like a hawk) and kissed his hand and lightly smacked his butt. Katherine half smiled and flew away.   
  
"Are you dating her?" Cho wondered.  
  
"What tipped you off?"  
  
And then Harry saw the Snitch. It was flying in lazy circles around Dean's head in the commentary box. Dean didn't seem to notice, or if he did he didn't move.  
  
"Harry?" Cho asked, but all she saw was a blur of black hair and scarlet robes.   
  
"HARRY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Dean was yelling from the box. "If you run into me I swear I'll kill you! I'm going to duck now…"  
  
"NO! Don't move a muscle!" Harry said loudly as he approached him. He turned backwards on his broom to stop it and grabbed the snitch in his left hand, grinning madly. Cho approached the scene seconds later, scowling.  
  
"And Gryffindor wins ONE HUNDRED AND NINTEY TO A WHOPING TWENTY POINTS!" Cheers erupted from the stadiums. Harry released the Snitch to flat above the crowds.   
  
"That isn't fair." Cho whined to Lupin. "Harry SAW the Snitch before me! He's got a better broom! It just isn't fair…!"  
  
"Oh get over yourself Cho." Katherine snapped. "Harry's just better than you!"  
  
"Thank you Katherine!" Harry said and put an arm around her waist.  
  
"What a perfect couple. Two orphans both so pathetic and weak that they deserve each other." Cho sneered.  
  
"I hardly consider that good sportsmanship." Lupin said calmly.  
  
"Just as I hardly consider you a good teacher." She snapped back.  
  
"Forty points from Ravenclaw, and see if I don't report that." Lupin said venomously. Cho huffed and walked away. "You dated HER?"  
  
"A crush?" Harry winced and shrugged. "Oh you know- boy meets girl, boy dates girl, boy dumps girl, boy dies and then he has a jealous ex?"  
  
"Oh yes, the classic story..." Katherine said and rolled her eyes. "You dumped her?"  
  
"Yes, and I'll explain it to you later."  
  
"Ah. Okay."  
  
  
  
"You did good today." Harry commented later that night. "Really good. I'll offer you a spot on the team next year if you want."  
  
"Thank you!" Kat squealed and ignoring Sirius's bark kissed him.   
  
"Oh you're most certainly welcome!" Harry kissed her back.  
  
"I have this really weird feeling in my gut." Katherine commented lightly and submitted to Sirius pulling her away from Harry with his teeth.   
  
"Like something's about to happen?" Harry asked. She nodded. "Me too."  
  
"I thought you might."  
  
"Just don't make me throw up okay? I have no intention of loosing my teeth at an early age because of stomach acid dissolving them."  
  
Katherine threw a pillow at him. "I'm being serious."  
  
"So am I. But seriously now- what do you think it could be?"  
  
~* I think you're in danger, Harry ~*  
  
~* Tell me something else new. Katherine, I think we're both in danger this time. ~*  
  
~* How do you mean? Have you had a vision? ~*  
  
~* Not lately, but I had a dream, a true dream that was about Voldemort and he said something like, 'if you can beat 'em make 'em join you.' ~*  
  
~* That's really weird. What do you think it means? ~*  
  
~* Have no idea. ~* Harry sighed. ~* I just was thinking about it the other day and I realized I cant remember anything about four weeks ago when I stormed out of the common room. Nothing. I can't remember a single thing that happened for at least two hours of a day! ~*  
  
~* Maybe there's nothing to remember? ~* Katherine thought nervously.  
  
~* I usually remember pointless things though. ~*  
  
~* Well now that you mention it...I can't remember anything at all about my family's funerals, not a single snippet. I mean, I was gone for a week and all I remember is flying back from it. ~*  
  
"Strange." Harry said. "Very strange."  
  
They went to their separate rooms after a while. At about two in the morning, Katherine crept into Harry's room.  
  
"I'm scared, Harry. Help me."  
  
Harry wrapped her in his arms and rocked her back and forth.  
  
"I'm scared too. At least we can be scared together."   
  
  
  
  
  
A/N : Please, feel free to murder me in flames with my overly short chapter. Actually, don't but please tell me if you want longer chapters. This chapter is dedicated to Jakie, who told me I should have more Quidditch in the stories! Thank you much!!!! Please be nice and review and I love you all anyways!  
  
~Tadariada~ 


	10. The Prince of Darkness

A/N: You asked for longer chapters. You are in for such a big surprise. I mean, I was running out of ideas about a third of a way through this chapter and I just let the words come out, so this chapter is by far the strangest thing I've ever written…seriously. Harry dying and coming back to life seems like a pile of dust compared to this mountain of a chapter.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'm not saying you have to stop dating her." Sirius said flatly. "I'm just telling you to slow down.  
  
"You never complained when you caught me and Cho kissing." Harry said flatly.   
  
"She wasn't my daughter." Sirius pointed out.   
  
Harry mumbled under his breath about something being jammed up Sirius's butt. Sirius heard and laughed hard.   
  
"Fine, if we slow down, will you stop bugging us?"  
  
"You have my word. Deal?"  
  
"Deal."  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
"Harry where are we going?" Katherine asked one night as they snuck out of the castle. "Whoa! That's the Whomping Willow."  
  
"Good job...d'you want a cookie or something?"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Only if you promise to." He hissed. "We're going to the shrieking shack."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"A meeting." He took a deep breath. "Close your eyes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You'll see later. Stay right there." The boy grabbed a long stick and prodded the huge knot in the tree that made its branches freeze. Keeping one hand on the knot, he grabbed Kat's sleeve and urged her into the passage. "You have to keep your eyes shut Katherine!"  
  
She didn't see Harry's eyes recede into an ugly red or his nose lengthen and flatten. She didn't see him grow a good three feet and she certainly wasn't prepared for his attack. Katherine screamed and writhed when Voldemort pounced on her like a cat and he stayed on until she was rendered unconscious.  
  
Voldemort laughed heartily and picked up her limp body and carried her down the dark, dank passage. "One down, one to go." He said and laughed again.  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*   
  
A shaky voice came through Harry's mind in the middle of the night. ~* Harry, if you can hear me, help me! I'm- I'm in the Shrieking Shack I think. I've been captured by- by him. My head hurts a lot but other than that I think - oh he's coming again. Harry help me. ~* There was a loud crashing noise in his mind.  
  
Harry sat strait up in bed, so quickly that Sirius woke up.  
  
"It's Katherine." Harry said and jumped out of the bed. "I think she's been taken." And he ran down the stairs four at a time and then up to the girls dorm.  
  
Her bed was empty.  
  
"No." Harry's voice came out as a croaky moan. "No. No-no-NO! Oh Fuck!" He collapsed onto his knees, a few tears escaping his eyes.   
  
"Harry?" Lavender asked, sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes. "What's wrong?"  
  
"She's gone. Katherine's been captured."  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
"Well Harry," Dumbledore cleared his throat. "You seem to be right. Katherine is gone. I have a ransom note from Voldemort right here."  
  
"Did it say where she is?" Harry asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"She told me she was in the Shrieking Shack." Harry said.   
  
"How could she tell you that?" Sirius asked sharply. "If she was captured and you were half asleep?" The three were sitting in the Headmaster's office having a grim meeting.   
  
"We're telepathic. We can talk without talking." Harry began to explain.  
  
When Sirius didn't seem to understand, Dumbledore took over. "Katherine is Cyrena's Heir. Harry is Merlin's Heir. All important heirs have strange powers and sometimes you can find the Telepathy."  
  
"Oh, and I thought we were just special." Harry muttered half-heartedly.  
  
"Harry you told me about the Shrieking Shack last night when we talked. I had it searched. It is empty."  
  
"Damn." Harry cursed. "Well did you check his father's old house? They room there quite a lot."  
  
"The one in Little Hangleton?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded. "We had the place knocked over this summer, I thought you knew."  
  
"No."  
  
"I'm sorry. All the hit wizards have been assigned towns and all the Aurors are working more than overtime. We will find her."  
  
"I hope so." Sirius and Harry chimed.   
  
A long silence and then-  
  
"You haven't checked one place yet!" Harry said, eyes lighting up.  
  
"Where?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"The Chamber of Secrets." Harry said. "They could easily be in there."  
  
"Out of the question." Sirius said. "As his guardian I refuse to let him enter that place."  
  
"Harry's right, Sirius." Dumbledore said after a moment of thinking. "I over rule your decision as his second guardian."  
  
"SECOND guardian?" Harry almost shouted. "What the-"  
  
"Yes, second guardian." Dumbledore said. "I had to sign some legal documents when you stayed here this past summer."  
  
"Point taken." Harry said.  
  
"Good. We can discuss this later then, okay?" Sirius said. "I want to find my daughter."  
  
"Daughter?" Dumbledore looked surprised for the first time Harry had even seem him.  
  
"Yes daughter." Sirius said.  
  
"Oh." Dumbledore blinked, thinking. "I suppose..."  
  
"Chamber of Secrets?" Harry prompted.  
  
"I don't think-" Sirius said.  
  
"Voldemort would hide out there. It's his origins and he would know that he was the only one who could get into it. He most likely never heard that Harry could enter it." Dumbledore said fairly. "He was still away from his body when Harry entered the Chamber."  
  
"Only a fool would go in there! It's almost certain death!" Sirius pointed out.  
  
"A. How would you know? B. I thought you wanted to FIND Kat. And C. I could take the sword with me. I know how to use it fair enough, plus the monster is dead. Voldemort might not even be in there." Harry said loudly.   
  
"Touché." Sirius sighed. "I agree. As long as I accompany you."  
  
"I would like to come to." Dumbledore ventured. "It's always been a dream of mine to see every inch of this castle. Seeing the Chamber will complete my task."  
  
"It's really nasty." Harry said. "A bunch of algae is in there and blood probably to. The passages might be blocked off because of an earthquake…"  
  
"Are you afraid, Harry?" Sirius asked lightly.  
  
"Yes." Harry said comfortably. "I certainly am."  
  
"Well all the more reason to go and check it out." Sirius said looking very businesslike. "When shall we go?"  
  
"Now." Dumbledore said. "Minerva!"   
  
Professor McGonagall appeared at the door. "Can I help you Dumbledore?"  
  
"Yes Minerva. I would like you to call classes off for the day. No student is to be out of their common rooms."  
  
"Wha- I mean, of course, sir." She said and stormed off. They heard her announcement shortly and departed in silence as students went to their common rooms with confused looks on their faces.   
  
Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was as dreary as Harry remembered it. Moaning Myrtle greeted them mournfully as they entered.  
  
"Harry this is only a girl's toilet." Sirius said with a grin when Harry entered. His walking was slow because of the heavy sword hanging on his waist.  
  
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Harry said flatly and headed over to the tap.  
  
"Are you dawdling Harry?" Dumbledore asked. "We don't have time for this."  
  
"Please be quiet." Harry said. "It's hard to get the damn thing open."   
  
"Oh." Sirius said. Harry concentrated hard on the little scratched out snake, willing his mind to believe it was real.   
  
"Open up." Harry said as quietly as he could manage. The hiss echoed around the bathroom and Sirius gasped.   
  
"Well I wasn't expecting that." He said faintly as the sink sank into the floor, leaving the pipe wide open to all that wanted to enter. Harry was surprised to see how clean it seemed to be.  
  
"Who first?" Harry asked as naturally as he could.   
  
"What is it?"  
  
"A pipe. You have to slide down it." Harry said.   
  
"You go first, I don't know where to go." Sirius said to Harry. He shrugged.  
  
"I suppose. See you at the bottom." Harry slid in.   
  
"WHY IS THIS SO FUN?" Sirius called up from behind Harry on the slide.  
  
There was no answer.   
  
Harry popped out of the pipe tumbling out on the floor. Sirius came out in the same manner shortly afterward. Dumbledore on the other hand glided carefully out of the slide, as if he had done this many times before.   
  
Harry gaped at him. "How did you do that?" Dumbledore landed on the ground with grace.  
  
"It's simple Harry." Dumbledore said mysteriously. Harry watched in horror as Dumbledore morphed into Voldemort. He clutched his wand and aimed it at Voldemort. "I've been in here before."  
  
"But- but- how?" Harry asked. He looked over at his godfather. "Sirius?"  
  
"Not Sirius." Came the cold reply. Harry yelled as Sirius turned into Lucious Malfoy.  
  
"Why do you want with me?" Harry asked and began slowly backing away to the slide.   
  
"You?" Voldemort laughed. "I thought your all knowing powers would have warned you about me coming. No?"  
  
"I don't know all." Harry retorted, ignoring the searing pain in his forehead.   
  
"Well, Prince of Darkness, I want you and your little girlfriend on my side. She didn't accept my offer. She faced the consequences."  
  
"What did you do with Katherine?" Harry yelled, a ball of fire glowing bright in his outstretched hand.  
  
"She isn't harmed." Voldemort continued. "She's been converted to my way of believing-"  
  
"You brainwashed her." Harry said flatly.  
  
"Brainwashed is a strong word, Harry." Lucious sneered.   
  
"Shut up Malfoy." Harry and Voldemort chimed. Harry shuddered.   
  
"So do you go peacefully?" Voldemort asked after surveying Harry.  
  
"Go where?"  
  
"To the winning side, of course." Voldemort said. "My side. The Sorcerer's Royal Court."  
  
"And why the hell would I do that?"  
  
"Because you know where you belong, Prince."  
  
"WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING ME A PRINCE?"  
  
"Not only a prince," Lucious said. "The Prince of Darkness. You are Merlin's heir."  
  
"No shit Sherlock. My being Merlin's Heir has nothing to do with you."  
  
"Oh but it does!" Voldemort said calmly. "Merlin is the most powerful wizard to date. Or rather, he could have been if he had channeled his powers correctly. You are his heir-"  
  
"Yes, I believe we covered that." Harry said waspishly.   
  
"And since you are his heir, you have that power. I will teach you to channel it. Towards my cause."  
  
"No."  
  
"You will, whether you want to or not." Lucious said. "You'll just be like the girl. Converted into thinking our way."  
  
"Lucious is right, Harry. What will you do?"  
  
Harry looked around him. He had no idea how get out of the chamber, so that was out of the question. His fire would only do him so much, and he guessed Voldemort would block it anyways and Lucious was fingering his own wand so he couldn't stun them either. The odds were definitely not in his favor. The fire in his hand grew larger.  
  
"Do I even have a choice?"  
  
"No, I'm afraid you don't." Voldemort said. "Put away your child's tricks Potter and join me."  
  
"Never!" Harry cried and threw the giant ball of fire towards the two men. Just before it hit Lucious, it separated creating a wall of flame. Harry used the time he had won to figure out the slide. "Turn into stairs, you goddamn slide!" He hissed at it. At once, it did as it was told. Harry, very surprised, jogged up them.  
  
"NO YOU DON'T!" Voldemort bellowed from behind him. "You're mine!"  
  
Something tackled him from behind and Harry smashed to the stairs with a nasty crack.  
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Students gaped open mouthed at the bewitched ceiling in the great hall. The sky was not showing on it, as it usually did, letters replaced it.  
  
The Prince of Darkness Has Arisen!   
  
  
  
"Who is the Prince of Darkness?" Ron asked Hermione meekly at dinner. Hermione thought for a minute.  
  
"Well..." She said as she let it sink in. "Merlin! Merlin was called the Prince of Darkness!"  
  
"Yes," Ron said, turning green. "I know."  
  
"Then why do you ask?"  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Where's Harry?"  
  
Hermione blanched and whispered, "Katherine disappeared. Then Harry is gone. OH SHIT THEY'VE GO HARRY!"  
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*   
  
  
A/N: SOOOOOOOO...surprised? Hehehe. I'm glad. So anyways, nobody has struck me as dedication worthy this week, except maybe um- well let me see here…Coqui is always more than nice, along with Jackie. I would also like to apologize to Katy Burrito for having a lot of the story spoiled. Thanks again for reviewing people, I love that!!!  



	11. Mairdunum ( Revised for you looser-heads...

A/N: Okay meanies, you not only suck my butt, you're mean! I expected some evil reviews BUT NOT THAT MANY! Ouch you guys, my feelings have been crushed. But since I am to dedicated to you all I have decided to rewrite Chapter Eleven because did I mention that you guys SUCK MY BUTT? So be happy and review nicely.   
  
  
  
Oh and one mad reader pointed out some differences in information about Merlin. I happened to read some wonderful; historically accurate (with a little fluff) books about the magician himself repeatedly last year. I strongly urge you to read the books, they are by Mary Stuart and it's a series. The first book is called The Crystal Cave. If and when you do you will see many connections to all of my series. Again, I must say that the books are most certainly worth reading!  
  
P.S. to the reviewer who said that Sirius killed himself: He didn't kill himself, Snape did. You must have read a little wrong.  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Where are they?" Sirius repeated to an astounded McGonagall. "Minerva, don't do this to me. Where are they?"  
  
"Ch- ch- Chamber of Secrets!" McGonagall said and looked around the room. Dumbledore smiled at the finicky lady.  
  
"He's harmless." Dumbledore explained rashly as they raced from the room.   
  
"We're to late." Sirius said flatly when they reached the entrance. Sitting at the open pipe was a heavily bloodstained ripped fabric from one of Harry's robes and further down the stairs was a trail of splattered mess leading to it. "We're to late."  
  
"I don't believe so." Dumbledore said quietly. He was looking at the trail of blood. It led right into a stall. As if on cue one of the stalls burst open and Voldemort walked out of it. Another burst open and Lucious Malfoy stepped out, carrying a limp form of Harry.  
  
"That was far to easy, Dumbledore." Voldemort sneered. "One would think they protect high risk students."  
  
Sirius lunged for Harry and was struck down by Lucious. He fell to the floor in a twitch of pain. "Stupid." Lucious spat in Sirius's face. "Very stupid."  
  
"Did you enjoy your nap?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"I suppose your referring to the sleep you drugged us into?" Dumbledore said bluntly.   
  
"Yes, Severus arranged that nicely." Voldemort said and looked at Harry. "Looks like I've one this time, eh old man?" Dumbledore's jaw dropped and his eyes widened even further when Snape skidded into the room.  
  
"Master!" He said faintly when he saw Voldemort. Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Dumbledore! I can explain…"  
  
"Don't bother." Dumbledore said icily. "Tom, give me Harry."  
  
"It's not going to be that simple, old man." Voldemort said and drew out his wand. "Harry and Katherine and I are going places. Literally. Catch us if you can." And with a wave of his wand and a vehement yell from Sirius they were gone.   
  
"What do we do?" Sirius asked quietly. "Where should we start?"  
  
"I'm not sure. But standing here isn't helping either. We are going to have to blow up this bathroom." And so they left, feeling very shaken. Sirius kicked Snape hard in the ribs on the way out.  
  
Snape quit his job later that week feeling ashamed at his being caught. The Slytherin house was now being ran by the boring Professor Tool and potions class had been for the time being. Nobody really cared. Nobody ever really saw Draco's father again either and he was hounded about it every day.   
  
"I DON'T KNOW!" He burst out one morning at the Slytherin table. "I DON'T CARE EITHER! I HATED MY FATHER AND IF HE'S GONE THAT'S A GOOD THING! NOW SHOVE OFF!"  
  
Ron and Hermione collapsed into silent laughter.  
  
"He's loosing his touch." Ron said when he recovered.  
  
"Yes, not nearly as threatening."  
  
"But I do wonder…" Ron began, looking at his soggy cereal.  
  
"No. Don't think about it." Hermione instructed. "It will only make things worse."  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
"I know your awake boy, look at me!" Voldemort commanded. Harry did as he was told, painfully slow. The pain in his head was killing him. Harry tried to open his eyes but found that he had been blindfolded. Harry cursed inwardly. His powers were worthless without his sight. Voldemort laughed at his obvious struggle. Harry cringed.   
  
"What do you want with me?" His voice was barely audible and very shaky. Harry heard Katherine's sobs next to him and figured that she was now next to Harry, limbs tied fast to a pole as his were.   
  
"Louder, boy!" Voldemort said.  
  
"What do you want with us?" He asked  
  
"Oh, I thought you knew." Voldemort hissed. "I need you for the court. The Sorcerer's Royal Court." The vision Harry had had the first night at school flashed in front of his shut eyes.  
  
"But why Katherine? She's not ROYAL." Harry said. "And neither are you!"  
  
"Ah, there is little you know, Harry. Katherine IS royalty. Ever so distantly, but she is."   
  
"And you?"  
  
"I am the worlds best sorcerer, do you need anything else?" Voldemort snapped. Seeing that he had struck a nerve, Harry changed tactics.   
  
"What can I do for YOU then?" He wondered. "I'm only a sixth year student…."  
  
"You have powers that even I don't know about." Voldemort said delicately. "You will be a useful tool in my plans."  
  
"Ah." Harry said weakly. "And what is your plan?"  
  
"Originally it was immortality, but now I crave power and leadership."  
  
"A regular Hitler…" Harry said dryly under his breath.  
  
Voldemort heard. "He was my mentor…"  
  
Harry choked on his spit. "Oh."  
  
"So what will you do Harry?" Voldemort asked. "Will you join my league and be greatly rewarded or will you rebel and be brain washed?"  
  
"I'll never go." Harry snarled. Suddenly the ropes binding him disappeared at his will and Harry tumbled to the floo of wherever he was. He ripped off the blindfold and glared at Voldemort. "Never."  
  
"Have it your way." Voldemort sighed. He lifted up his wand, which Harry burnt in a blow of fire.   
  
"Beat that." Harry said coolly and rocked back and forth on his feet so he would be ready for the initial battle.   
  
"Thank you for the invitation." Voldemort pointed at the pile of ash that used to be his wand and in a flash of black light the wand was as good as new again. Harry glared at the wood and it blew up in Voldemort's hand. This time Voldemort didn't bother with the wand.  
  
"See even you can be beaten-"  
  
"STUPIFY!" Roared a voice from behind him and Harry could only watch helplessly as Lucious Malfoy raised a finger and tutted. "Very stupid choice, Harry."   
  
"Better leave him be." Voldemort warned. "Now, Wormtail, you come in."  
  
The fat man staggered over to Harry, who was still frozen. "What is your will?"  
  
"Convert him." Voldemort said lazily.   
  
"I'm sorry Harry." Pettigrew whispered and put the silver hand to Harry's temples. There was a great flash and Harry's entire out look on life changed.  
  
"How about you, Girl?" Voldemort asked Katherine. "Do you need to be helped into our ways?"  
  
"No!" Katherine said, looking mournfully at Harry. "I'm fine like this. I'll be on your side."  
  
"Can you be trusted?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"My life and my wand are yours, sir." Katherine said solemnly, avoiding his eyes. Voldemort mistook this a respect for her overlord and grinned, very satisfied.   
  
"And you Prince of Darkness? Who do you pledge to?" He asked now. Harry, his eyes glazed over kneeled.  
  
"My life and my wand belongs to you, sir." He said, and half of his body was screaming "NO!" but the other half was over powering the weak half and he remained solemn and evil.   
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
Harry and Katherine were being kept in Hogsmeade, in the cave where Sirius had been staying in their fourth year. Voldemort stayed with them, training them and making sure they didn't try and escape. Harry would have never left, but Katherine thought only of this.  
  
"Harder, boy, harder! Put more oomph in your voice when you say it! AVVVVVVVAAAAADDDDDAAA KKKKKEEEEEDDDDDAAAVVVVRRRAAA!"  
  
Harry sighed. "Yes, your Grace. AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
  
The mouse they had been practicing on scuttled away as fast as could, but death caught up with it.   
  
Voldemort applauded. "Yes, yes, very good Harry!" Katherine looked disgusted. Voldemort rounded on her. "You could take a lesson from him. He is doing very well, where as you can do whatever he likes now. His powers are infinite."  
  
"I don't want infinite powers." Katherine snapped.   
  
"Yes you do!" Voldemort said. "Or do I need to teach you the consequences again?"  
  
"No, sir, I'm fine!" Katherine said quickly.   
  
"I think there are other ways of keeping you." Voldemort said icily. "More ways than you would think. Harry, pack your things, we're leaving. "  
  
"Where are we going?"   
  
"Wales."  
  
"Why Wales?"  
  
"We'll being going to Maridunum."  
  
"That was where Merlin was born." Harry said knowledgeably.   
  
"And that is where you shall live."  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
A year went by, very, very slowly. Life at Hogwarts was odd to everybody there. Something was missing. Things had changed since Harry and Kat disappeared that day. Bad changes. Huge masses of Dark Power had started to grow in a little town in Wales. Nobody seemed to know why.  
  
Hermione and Ron remained together through the rest of the years to come (A/N: but since we're only going a YEAR in time for now…) and generally avoided the subject of their lost friends. But today was different.  
  
"They've been spotted." Hermione said flatly, ruffling her newspaper. "They weren't killed after all."  
  
"Who's been spotted?" Ron asked, dreading the answer.  
  
"Harry and Katherine." She said weakly. "Listen to this," Hermione ruffled the newspaper and read aloud, "Harry Potter and Katherine Stuart-Black who were kidnapped almost a year ago were sighted yesterday. The reporter recalls on how healthy they both seemed, but was quite shocked as when she reveals this, "I met Mr. Potter once before and he was- to put it bluntly- short. It's only been about a year and it looks like he's 6' now. And the girl, Katherine Stuart-Black is to say….The child is with child."  
  
Ron's eyes bulged. "PREGNANT?"  
  
"It seems so." Hermione sniffed and continued. "When I approached them, they walked quickly away, almost as if they said something to me they would be hurt. It was odd. Then the girl began calling Harry Prince and he called her My Lady."  
  
Ron's eyebrows were rapidly disappearing in his hair. "So he's really the Prince of Darkness?"  
  
"So it seems." Hermione said and put the paper down, having no desire to finish the article off. "UUURRRGGHH!" Hermione put her head in her hands.  
  
"It'll be okay Hermione. I know it will." Ron said and put an arm around her. She shrugged it off.  
  
"But when will it be okay Ron? When will they come back?"  
  
There was no answer to this question.  
  
"Ron? They don't say where they were spotted in this article." Hermione said slowly. "It just says a tiny town by a long out of use port about 30 miles off of Cornwall."  
  
"No." Ron said flatly. "Whatever you're thinking, stop thinking it. We can't go out and find them ourselves. It's just a set up for disappointment."  
  
"I thought you said that you knew that everything was going to be okay." Ron sighed and gave in to Hermione's puppy eyes.  
  
And so three months later at Christmas break Ron and Hermione boarded a ship.  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*   
  
"I feel sick." Hermione commented after a night on the ship. "Everything's swaying back and forth and back and forth an back and forth." Ron put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.  
  
"Didn't anybody ever tell you that Sorcerers and Sorceress's can't travel on water?"  
  
"I thought it was poppycock." Hermione said. "An old witches tale."   
  
"No it isn't because I feel sick too." Ron said. Hermione didn't hear this. She was to busy throwing up over the rail.   
  
A disgusted looking sailor sauntered up to her and put cool hands on her forehead and calmed her. "Stop yer retchin', you'll be all righ' lass."  
  
"Thank you." Hermione said faintly and walked back into their room, Ron following her. "Ron remind me never to travel by boat again."  
  
"Sure thing." Ron said, collapsing onto his own bed. "I wont let you."  
  
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
"Historical Society?" Hermione repeated when she and Ron entered the small town. "Maridunum is owned by the Historical Society?"   
  
"It seems to be so." Ron said, craning over Hermione's head to get a good look at the sign. "And I thought there was supposed to be dark power gaining over here, but by a Historical Society? That's mad."   
  
Maridunum, the sign proclaimed, was one of the oldest settlements from the renaissance period and by far the best kept.   
  
So Ron and Hermione realized quickly that Maridunum was a tourist trap and that it was not likely that wizards and witches would come here often. Before anybody saw them they took off their pointed wizards hats and black robes so they would blend in with the Muggles. Passerby took them in as part of the Maridunum experience. They saw them as workers in costume with their "medieval" robes on.   
  
"Where is the nearest restroom?" A plump woman asked. A child was clutching her hand, clenching her legs together and slowly crouching over.  
  
"Back on your left." Ron said. The woman rushed away.  
  
"How did you know that?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I guessed." Ron said and winked.  
  
"That's awful."  
  
"Let's not forget why we're here." Ron said.   
  
"Good call." Hermione said. "Now if you were a Harry where would you hide?"  
  
"Harry isn't hiding." Ron said bitterly. "He was kidnapped."  
  
"Okay, you got me."  
  
"So if you were a you-know-who where would you store your hostages?"  
  
"Wow, that wasn't funny at all." Hermione said and pointed at her. "I want to have a little fun, okay?"  
  
"I know." Ron said.   
  
"Well if I was a You-Know-Who I would probably kill myself with shame- wait- I'm getting off track. Let's sit down for a moment."  
  
"Sure." Ron said and plopped down on a bench. Hermione sat down next to him and put her head on Ron's shoulder.  
  
"I have a really bad feeling." She said at last.  
  
"Me too." Ron said. "But we need to find them."  
  
"I never said we weren't going to find them." Hermione said. "I know we're going to find them."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Ron rose a red eyebrow. Hermione, white as a ghost pointed across the street. A very tall young man was leaning against a counter talking in a friendly manner to the man selling ice cream. "You don't think that could actually be him?"  
  
The stared in silence at the young man. The hair was definitely Harry's, crazy, shooting out in all directions, but something was very different.  
  
"MERLIN THE ENCHANTER!" A worker called from the next street over. "Look friends, its MERLIN THE ENCHANTER!"  
  
'Merlin' waved his arm at the crowd and little children ran up to him, asking to see magic. The youth looked their way and Hermione's face fell. It was just a worker.  
  
"This blows." Ron said and stood up. "That reporter probably only saw HIM." He waved a hand at the worker posing as Merlin.   
  
"Damn, I'll bet you're right." Hermione said. "Com'mon Ron, lets get out of here."  
  
"WAIT!" Ron said loudly. "Listen, they're going up the hill to Merlin's Crystal Cave and if I was a you-know-who THAT'S where Id's store my hostages.   
  
"YE OLDE HORSE AND BURROW RENTAL IS TO YOUR RIGHT FOLKS. IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE CRYSTAL CAVE YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A HORSE OR A BURROW! ALTHOUGH, YOU COULD TAKE THE TRAM IF YEH AREN'T WANTIN THE FULL EXPERIENCE…" 'Merlin' yelled to the growing crowd. Ron and Hermione raced to the Horse rental.   
  
"We're sharing a horse." Ron proclaimed. "These prices are mad."  
  
"Fine with me." Hermione cooed to him. Ron blushed. Ron paid money and a stable worker showed them to a worn out, tired looking grey pony.  
  
"I thought they said this was a horse rental?" Ron grunted and helped Hermione onto the horse.  
  
"Would you rather walk?" the holster grunted and smacked the horse squarely on the flanks.   
  
"No." Hermione and Ron chimed.   
  
"That's what I thought. This is Huckleberry. He's right friendly, if you can ride properly."  
  
"I've never ridden." Ron confessed.  
  
Hermione laughed. "Well city boy we're going to have to break you in. I'll steer. I've taken riding lessons every summer since third grade."  
  
"Please do then." Ron said and gave her the reigns. "Thank you."  
  
The worker led them out of the stable and they took off up the mountain. People followed them up, pointing and giggling at the lovebirds. The actor posing as Merlin was gone and instead they found them selves on a guided tour up the mountain. Speakers blared out information when they detected that somebody was there.  
  
"The Crystal Cave was Merlin's home for many years," One said, "When the historical society found it there were still remnants from the enchanter himself including a cauldron, a mirror and a multitude of dried herbs. The inner cave was where Merlin would meditate and prophesize and to the day, we still have not found the entrance to it. Merlin was a man of mystery…"  
  
"Oh bull shit." Ron said. "A man of mystery? Whatever. The Muggles just aren't looking hard enough."  
  
"Quite." Hermione agreed. The ride was actually quite pleasant; the mild December weather nipped at their noses, but all snuggled up, as they were, they didn't really seem to notice. Ron was just thinking about how nice of a cushion Hermione's thick hair made for his chin, when he noticed something.  
  
"Look!" He said and pointed. Under his fingers was the entrance to a roped off trail leading a little ways up the hill and then strait into a cave. "I wonder why they have it marked off…"  
  
"There's a sign!" Hermione said. "Listen to this: Private Property of the Prince, Please Stay Away."  
  
"The prince? There's no Prince that would be around this tourist attraction." Ron said.  
  
"I'll bet the crystal cave at the top of the hill is a fluke and this" - she pointed yonder at the cave- "this is the real one."  
  
"Mithras." Ron whistled. "Well? Should we go in?"  
  
"Yes, of course we should go in!"  
  
"I'm afraid."  
  
"So am I."  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
The horse seemed to know where to go because it led the pair up the mountain without being steered and went strait into a small stable. Ron and Hermione pet the horse idly for a moment talking.  
  
"Do you think they're here?"  
  
"I dunno." Ron said. "It smells pretty fresh in here to me."  
  
"Ron yuck!" Hermione said and threw a carrot at him. He threw it back. Soon the carrots were flying and they both collapsed onto a fresh pile of hay when they were tired of it, giggling.   
  
"What are we doing?" Ron said sitting up abruptly. "We're wasting time!"  
  
"You're right." Hermione said and sat up with him. "We should go to the cave.  
  
Hermione clutched Ron's hand and they made their way to the mouth of the cave.   
  
"Hello?" Hermione called into the cave. Her words echoed into the blackness. "Is anybody there?"  
  
There was no answer.  
  
"They must not be home, come on, let's try again later." Ron said in an uncharacteristically high voice. "This place gives me the creeps."   
  
"We have our wands." Hermione hissed. "We'll be fine."   
  
"I suppose."  
  
"I'm going in. LUMOS!" Hermione said forcefully. The glow of the wand lit up the cave little by little as they looked through it. There was a very rustic looking table and chairs in view three feet in strait across from the table was a wood stove. Further back was a feather bed with a large oak trunk at the foot. A big patchwork quilt was being used as a comforter on it. Ron followed behind Hermione like a tall gangling shadow drinking in the entire cave with his eyes.  
  
Hermione turned 90 degrees at the bed and screamed. Two faces were staring at them! Ron jumped too and flattened up against a bumpy and prickly wall. A stream of bats flew rapidly out of the cave, expertly dodging the two humans. When the hubbub subsided Ron surveyed the situation and laughed out loud.  
  
"It's a mirror, Hermione. You only saw the mirror." Her hugged her around the shoulders. "I guess not all of us can be fearless."  
  
"Shut up." Hermione glared at him. She looked around the cave again. "It's clean and here, and it smells like somebody has been here recently."  
  
"You're right. Wait a second- look at the bed closer." Ron said, a grin on his face.  
  
"What? Why? Nobody's IN it right?"  
  
"No."  
  
Hermione looked. "They're separate. It's just two beds."  
  
Ron smiled with triumph. The two twin beds had been pushed close -within a foot of each other- and had matching quilts.   
  
"That's odd." Hermione said.   
  
"Yeah. Kinda funny too."   
  
Ron and Hermione left the cave when they both got to cold.  
  
"Do you think that's actually where they are?" Hermione asked and sat down next to the half-frozen spring next to the cave.   
  
"If they do, it must suck. I can't imagine living in a wretched old cave."  
  
"But you can tolerate a wretched old castle?" A familiar voice said. The couple jumped and spun around. Standing before them was none other than Katherine in a bottle green cloak, holding a baby and Harry was standing next to her, looking taller and slightly frightened.   
  



	12. The Escape Plan That Wasn't Meant To Be

Hermione let out a strangled cry and hurled herself towards her friends. Harry narrowed his eyes at her and quick as a flash had pulled out Godric Gryffindor's sword, blocking Hermione from Katherine. He did not put the deadly sharp weapon down after one very long minute.   
  
"What-" Hermione said. Ron came to meet her. Hermione looked up into Ron's eyes.   
  
"Is that you Kat?" Ron asked stupidly. "Harry?"  
  
"Do you realize who you're talking to?" Katherine said timidly. "Well?"  
  
"Yes!" Ron almost shouted the word. "That's Harry and you're Katherine…right?"  
  
"That's the Prince you're talking to." Katherine said frankly. "He'll only respond to Prince unless you're me or Voldemort. I suggest you call him Prince."  
  
"What's going on here?" Hermione cried.   
  
"I don't believe we invited guests." Harry sneered suddenly. "Why don't you just leave before I have to cut one of you down." The sword glinted in the light.   
  
Katherine rounded on Harry. "Harry!" She snapped.   
  
"What is your will?" He asked formally.   
  
"Why don't you go- curry the horses."  
  
"Anything for you, my Lady." Harry said and without another word walked down into the stables.  
  
"Come in." Katherine pointed towards the cave. "But don't touch anything."  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
"Come with us!" Hermione pleaded. "Come back home, we all miss you terribly."  
  
"I cant." Katherine said and avoided her eyes. "We cant."  
  
"That's mad." Hermione said. She moved to grab one of Katherine's hands, but she jerked herself away.  
  
"I said, touch nothing. I meant it." She said coldly.  
  
"But- but- why?" Hermione said. Ron put an arm around her shoulder. "And what's wrong with Harry?"  
  
"I suppose you want an explanation." Katherine said after a moment with fussing with her baby.  
  
"We don't intend to move until we hear one." Ron said comfortably.   
  
"It's a long story."  
  
"We've got time."  
  
"Fine. Well when we got captured, Voldemort was kept us for a while in Hogsmeade, for training. But Harry was resisting Voldemort's ideas. So they had an informal duel. Harry lost and Voldemort brainwashed him. I wanted to keep my will so I surrendered. I've been miserable for almost a year. I can't stand it to be used like this. Harry would hate it to, if he were in a good state of mind. He just follows the Dark Lord's every wish. But it's getting a little better because I think Harry is beginning to know his mind again. The other day he refused to go on an errand for Voldemort. And I can tell the brain washing is wearing off because he left to curry the horses without a fight.  
  
"Back to the story. Voldemort hates me. He hates Harry too, but not as much as me. When I chose not to be brainwashed, Voldemort moved us here. He made sure there was no way of me escaping. And it works all to well."  
  
"What did he do?" Ron asked.  
  
"You didn't wonder about the baby?" Katherine said morosely. "If either of us leave he kills the child. And I can't have that happen. We're stuck. I think that's why Voldemort is laying off the brainwashing. He knows that Harry would never leave him if he killed his son."  
  
"So it is Harry's?" Hermione asked quietly.  
  
" Of course. Otherwise he wouldn't be affected by little Tom."  
  
"You named him Tom?"  
  
"No. Voldemort took the liberty of naming him. I call him Jamea when we aren't being watched over. I'm sure I'll get it for having you here, but he shouldn't suspect anything unless you moved anything in here or touched the baby, or us."  
  
"We wont!" Hermione said. "Oh my god, we wont!"  
  
"You should probably go."  
  
"But- no!" Ron said. "We came to talk to you, and rescue you!"  
  
"I'm afraid you'll see us sooner than you think. Now go, before Harry gets back and pitches a fit and ends up killing you."  
  
"No! We refuse."  
  
"I have other ways of making you leave, and they aren't pretty."  
  
"You- you would use dark magic on us?" Hermione said.  
  
"No, she wouldn't." Harry had appeared in the cave now. He picked up his child. "She's to nice. But I will. Master will have us both tortured for letting you in here and the longer you stay the worse our punishment."  
  
"You're taller, Harry." Hermione said quickly, biding her time.  
  
Harry pulled their names out of the back of his mind. "You're right Hermione, I am taller. It hurt a lot, but my growth spurt finally came." They all laughed rather tensely. "But please go."  
  
"Why?" Hermione asked again. "Why can't you come with us? Nobody's here!"  
  
"You want to know why?" Harry almost yelled.  
  
"Why?" Ron asked. "Yes, of course we want to know!"  
  
"This!" Harry showed them his wrist. It was like a silver bracelet with spheres around it. The spheres had blue lightning coursing around them. "This is why we can't leave Ron! If we leave the town without permission, the bracelet falls off our arms and attaches around Tom's neck and kills him. That's WHY we can't LEAVE."  
  
"Harry?" Hermione said timidly. She had been struck by sudden inspiration. And if it backfired, he would be no worse off than he already was. "Do you want to be normal again?"  
  
"Yes I do." Harry said solemnly. "I don't like it here."  
  
"Well close you're eyes." Hermione said. She raised her wand and said forcefully, "OBLIVIATE!"  
  
Everybody ducked, but Harry and he was hit with the charm. He staggered and looked up at them.  
  
"What the bloody hell- hey! It worked!" Harry said. 'I'm me again! Oh god I hate Voldemort!" Ron and Hermione cringed. "I can say it now. I- hate- Voldemort. I HATE VOLDEMORT! I'd swear I'd been screaming that for a year, but nothing came out."  
  
"Now why didn't I think of that…" Katherine said and hugged Harry. They all sat down again.  
  
"We're going to be at Hogwarts pretty soon." Harry said.  
  
"You are? You're coming back to graduate?" Hermione said hopefully. Harry and Kat exchanged looks.  
  
"No." Harry said slowly. "It's going to be an attack. Don't go to school on the 23rd. There may be an-"  
  
"An attack? Voldemort's going to attack the school?"  
  
"Worse." Katherine said.  
  
"What could be worse?"  
  
"We're attacking it."  
  
"YOU ARE?"  
  
"We have no choice!" Katherine said, bursting into sobs. "Our- our training is done. He's going - going to- to transform us into our ancestors, make their knowledge mix with our knowledge."  
  
"But Merlin and Cyrena were good people!" Hermione cried. "That should work against him!"  
  
"One would think so." She said.  
  
"Voldemort is powerful. He can change history. But he needed two bodies. We're the bodies." Harry said. "When Merlin and Cyrena leave us- well, the loss of power may kill us."  
  
"And he's going to take Jamea away from us!" Katherine wailed. "Jamea is going to be his heir, if we die. We don't want that for him…"  
  
"It's important that you aren't at school on the 23rd." Harry repeated. "Spread the word. Tell Dumbledore."  
  
"We will!" Ron said, "you can count on us."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Sorry so short, but there was nothing else I wanted to add to this chapter, just because it was pretty eventful. Don't complain about how short it is, because frankly, I don't give a damn. The next chapter is the finale and it should be very long.  
  
Weekly Dedications: To Lipsmacker and Idgit and Krissy, you three are the bomb reviewers and are totally cool on my list!  



	13. Cliffhanger

Harry flipped channels on the Muggle T.V. set and turned it off when he found that there was nothing on. There was a small explosion from the kitchen and Katherine and the baby ran out (the baby in her arms, of course), a trail of smoke coming from behind them.   
  
"D'you want me to cook?" Harry asked mildly. Katherine blushed, but shook her head.  
  
"You cooked last night. We agreed on switching off nights ages ago."  
  
"But you aren't used to the Muggle stove. I've been using one since I could walk at the Dursleys. I don't mind cooking."  
  
"Are you sure?" She asked hopefully. Harry nodded and she sighed. "Thank you. I'm going to go change Jamea's diapers…"  
  
"Have fun." Harry said. He aired the little hotel kitchenette out and began cooking grilled cheese sandwiches. (Give him a break, he's only 17) As they cooked, Harry stared out of the window.  
  
Hogsmeade was just over the mountain pass. In three days THEY would strike the un-suspecting town. Harry's stomach turned unpleasantly.   
  
"Oh Harry, no!" Katherine said loudly from the bedroom (they had rented the honey moon suite even though they weren't on a honeymoon) and they both had to run into the bathrooms (HEY! Suites are big) to - relieve themselves of sickness. She walked out into the kitchen and scowled at him. "It's been a long time since we've done that."  
  
"Thank god." They said together and laughed nervously. They were quite close to each other in the little kitchen. Neither of them dared to breathe to loud for some reason.  
  
"Water or soda for you're drink?" Harry asked.  
  
"Soda, DUH Harry. We've been living together for almost a year. You would think you might know that by now…"  
  
"Soda it is."  
  
"You're polite." Katherine commented. "But you don't have much sense in you."  
  
Harry grunted. "Oh shut up."  
  
"Fine."   
  
"Katherine?" Harry asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'm so glad you're here with me." Harry said.  
  
"I'm glad you're here too." Katherine said tensely. "I mean- I would rather be with you and Voldemort than with JUST Volde-"  
  
Harry silenced her jabbering with a kiss. The grilled cheese bursting into flames brought them back to their senses.  
  
"That's it!" Harry said loudly. "We're ordering pizza!"  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
"Are you sure?" Dumbledore said.   
  
"Yes." Hermione and Ron chorused.  
  
"The 23rd? Of which month?" Dumbledore said thoughtfully.   
  
"Um." Ron said.  
  
"He didn't say." Hermione said and bit her lip innocently.   
  
"Not a word?" Dumbledore pulled on his beard.  
  
"Not that I can remember." Hermione said.  
  
"You aren't toying with me?"  
  
"Why would we joke about something like this, eh?" Ron said hotly.  
  
"I suppose…but still…but still…." Dumbledore trailed off into thought. He put his wand up to his temple and drew out a long silvery thread and banished it into the Pensieve. "Did you say they have a child?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And if they go against Voldemort's orders (Ron and Hermione twitched nervously at the name) he'll kill the child?"   
  
"Yes. They even showed us how it would work…." Hermione cringed. "It was horrible."  
  
"I'll bet. Voldemort has awful ways of disposing of his enemies."   
  
"Yeah." The students agreed.   
  
"Well, I'll think about what you said about the 23rd, although there isn't much we can do. There are over 400 students at Hogwarts, not counting the teachers. There would be no way to get out of the castle by then. And if we left Voldemort would have won the fight…yes, I'm going to need to think before I act. You two, however should get back to your classes."  
  
They nodded and left his office.  
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~ *~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
The hotel room's doorbell rang. At once they knew who it was.  
  
"Ready?" Harry said, biting his lip.  
  
"No." Katherine answered.  
  
"OPEN UP!" It was Voldemort. Katherine, shifting the baby to her other hip opened the door.   
  
"My lord." She said as he passed. Voldemort surveyed the room.  
  
"You broke the stove."  
  
"Yes." Harry admitted sheepishly.   
  
"No matter."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Give me your arm, Potter."  
  
"Yes m' lord."  
  
Harry extended his arm. Voldemort grabbed his wrist and looked at the bracelet. He snapped his fingers and it had gone. He ordered the same of Katherine and with another snap, hers were gone too.   
  
"Now take of those necklaces of yours."  
  
"But-" Katherine started.  
  
"I said DO IT!" He roared. "Now give them to me."  
  
He handed Harry Katherine's necklace and vice versa.   
  
"Put them on."  
  
"What will it do, m'lord?"  
  
"I thought you might have figured that out by now, Potter. Lady Katherine's necklace holds Merlin's power and your necklace holds Cyrena's power. Once they are to the original owners, it should change your mind."  
  
"Should." Katherine said under her breath.  
  
"Put them on."  
  
Afraid of the consequences, they did as they were told. They both felt violently ill, but no nauseous. It was like more power that their body could handle (or was used to) was being shoved into them. But as soon as it started, it had stopped.  
  
"To Hogwarts?" Voldemort said.  
  
"To Hogwarts." They replied in dull flat voices. And soon all three were gone into Hogsmeade making their way up the drive to Hogwarts.  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
"Amelia! Over here!" Ron cried out at Quidditch practice. Amelia (that first year from my first series…remember yer? The one exactly like Harry?) tossed the Quaffle to Ron who scored an instant later.   
  
"Good call Ron."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Okay, that's it!" The new team captain, Dan called. All of the team dismounted and began walking up to the castle. It was quite late and the team hurried to the common room to finish their homework, but Amelia stayed behind to make sure her broom had the best spot in the closet.   
  
"Are you coming?" Somebody called from up ahead.  
  
"Yeah! Go without me, I'll be fine."  
  
She spoke too soon. A hand went over her mouth and a deep voice said, "Don't make a sound." Amelia nodded and numbly realized that there was a wand pressed up against her throat.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I lied. This isn't the finale, but the next one is! This chapter is dedicated to Jackie because I keep forgetting to tell her when I post.   
  
This is also dedicated to the 5 people who reviewed my new story, "The Riddle." I really need you guys to read this story. I really, really like it and I think you will too. It's about Stella Rene, who seems innocent but isn't nearly as angelic as she comes off to be. It's pretty funny, kinda sad and almost scary (in more ways than one). Please check it out!   



	14. Hogwarts Again

Katherine followed Harry across the lawn at Hogwarts. Amelia was amazingly calm in his grip, and she could hear him muttering in her ear from 10 feet away. Something in her body was screaming RUN, but she was ignoring the stupid little voice. She was on a mission.  
  
"My Lord?" Katherine called and caught up to Harry. "What are you doing with her?"  
  
"Why, Lady Katherine, she's our hostage." Harry said. "They'll listen if we have a hostage."  
  
Amelia's eyes were bright.  
  
"What is it?" Katherine asked the girl. "Let her speak, O Prince."  
  
"As you wish. Don't try to run, or we'll shoot you down. Don't yell out, or we'll shoot you down." He let go of her mouth.  
  
"Listen- whoever you are. They're ready for you up at the castle, I mean they've been ready for weeks."  
  
"Ready?" Katherine said.  
  
"Yes, ready. You'll both be killed on the spot-"  
  
"No we wont." Harry said firmly. "I can foretell the future. I've seen personal victory in our futures."  
  
"Personal victory for a great cell in Azkaban more like." Amelia said.   
  
"You realize they won't shoot us down if we have you in toe." Katherine said. Amelia looked into her eyes and gasped.  
  
"K-Kat?" She murmured. Something in her voice made Kat's brain twitch. "Ha-Harry?" Harry too felt the jolt. Nobody had said their names normally for almost 3 months.  
  
"Who are you calling us by those names?" Harry demanded. "You should mind your business. Walk. NOW!"   
  
The hand was pressed again over her mouth and she bit it very hard.  
  
"What have they done to you two? You're completely evil!"  
  
"Evil? WE are just following our Master's orders." Harry retorted.   
  
"You call him MASTER?" She hollered. "You used to hate him!"  
  
"Hate Voldemort? No, he's like a father to me." Harry said. Amelia smacked him.  
  
"You dishonor your parents sacrifice. You should have died with them."  
  
That struck Harry hard. He jabbed his wand harder into her neck. "You don't know what you're talking about. Move silently now or you'll regret it."   
  
"Harry-"  
  
"Shut up Katherine."  
  
Katherine hushed, knowing that he was a man on a mission. Nothing she could say would stop him now. So instead she hoisted Jamea up further on her hip and walked alongside Harry. Jamea found Harry's necklace around her neck and stuck it in his mouth.   
  
"Stop that Jamea. No- that's not a toy! You'll cut yourself!"  
  
"What's he doing?" Harry asked.  
  
"He's-sucking on the necklace c- controlling us. Jamea! Put that down."  
  
"Controlling us? Nothing is controlling us except- Voldemort."  
  
  
(A/N: Is it just me or is Voldemort's brilliant plan failing slightly already?)   
  
"Ah, right again." Katherine said.   
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
  
"Scream for me." Harry said.  
  
Amelia shook her head.  
  
"Scream for me! Nice and loud, cause some attention."  
  
"No!" Amelia said quietly.  
  
"You know you want to. Scream." Katherine said soothingly. "I don't want to force you to scream. It hurts."  
  
"I refuse."  
  
"SCREAM!" Harry hissed venomously.  
  
Amelia looked up at Harry. "What did he do to you?"  
  
"Nothing. SCREAM! Now."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
Amelia let back her head and laughed.  
  
"You would never torture me." She said. "You aren't that mean. I know you well enough to know you wouldn't do that."  
  
"People change." Katherine hissed.  
  
That shut her up.   
  
"Now. Scream." Harry wrapped his fingers tight around her neck and lifted her into the air. Amelia gasped for breath. Katherine was laughing evilly. Harry loosened his grip and at once Amelia was ripping the air with bloodcurdling screams.  
  
People skidded out of the great hall in masses staring at Harry, his baby boy, Katherine and Amelia who was looking wildly at Harry, screaming loudly.  
  
"Well, well, well Harry." Dumbledore had arrived on the scene. "You finally decided to show."  
  
"That is Prince Harold to you, Old man." Katherine snapped. "Well?" She looked at her schoolmates. "Why aren't you bowing?"  
  
There were some sniggers. Harry raised his wand, ready to kill them all.  
  
"Put it down Harry." Dumbledore said calmly.  
  
"No, you can't make me." Harry said. "I have orders and I plan to fulfill them. Tonight. My master will be here soon to help us."  
  
"You're master?"  
  
"My lord Voldemort."  
  
Dumbledore's confident face fell.  
  
"You answer to him now?"  
  
"It is my destiny."  
  
"You're mad."  
  
"You're mad." Harry said back. "Voldemort has taught me more than you could ever hope to teach me. He told me that there is no such thing as good or evil only pow-"  
  
"YOU SOUND LIKE QUIRELL!" Somebody suddenly screamed from the crowd. "AFTER ALL YOU'VE DONE IN YOU'RE LIFE YOU'RE GOING TO END UP JUST LIKE QUIRELL! DEAD AFTER SOME STUPID PLAN!"  
  
"Hermione is right." Dumbledore said.  
  
"CRUCIO!" Harry pointed his wand at a random person. Colin Creevy fell to the ground screaming and twitching. The school watched in horror. Harry refused to look at the person he was torturing. I didn't feel right. He wanted to tell Katherine that Voldemort's plan hadn't quite worked on him, because he only felt just a little more alive now, but she seemed to be quite evil herself.   
  
But it hadn't seemed to work on her either because she screamed, "Harry stop it!" And threw herself in the wands fire to stop Colin's torturing, but her plan only put her in pain. Harry's eyes widened and he threw off the curse.   
  
~* Katherine! What should we do? ~*  
  
~* Oh god Harry I don't know. We're probably going to go to Azkaban for this…~*  
  
~* But aren't we supposed to be under a spell? ~*  
  
~* I knew all along that it wouldn't work. ~* Kat said frankly. ~* He was never good at ancient runes, and he read them wrong about our necklaces. ~*  
  
"He did?"   
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Oh Jesus."  
  
~* Harry take off your necklace. ~*  
  
~* Why? ~*  
  
~* Just trust me! ~*  
  
"Okay." Harry slipped the necklace (or rather Kat's necklace) over his head and collapsed in a dead faint. Katherine did the same.  
  
Dumbledore caught the baby almost lazily and said, "I want everybody in his or her common rooms. I do believe we'll be having a visit from the dark lord tonight."   
  
"Whose is it?" Sirius asked, looking at the baby in Dumbledore's arms.  
  
"I'm guessing Harry and Katherine's." Dumbledore said and smiled at the baby boy. "He's perfect."  
  
Sirius didn't hear Dumbledore's last comment. "What d'you mean Harry and Katherine's baby?"  
  
"Well Sirius, it does take two to do the job."  
  
"Wait till I get my hands on him!" Sirius yelled. The baby began to fuss.   
  
"No, you must not touch them!" Dumbledore said. "They are most likely under a charm. You could be hurt."  
  
"Goddamn it!"   
  
"Watch your mouth, please!" Madame Pomfrey called, marching into Dumbledore's office, waving a thermometer.   
  
"How are they Poppy?"  
  
"Potter's got quite a few scars on him so does Katherine."  
  
"Scars?"  
  
"Yes, scars. But they're in odd places, like the tops of their feet and so on."  
  
"You're checking the tops of their feet?" Sirius asked.   
  
"You can never be to sure-" She just now noticed Sirius. "MURDERER!"  
  
"Relax Poppy." Sirius said. "I SAID SHUT UP!"  
  
"W-what is- is h-he doing-g he- here?"   
  
"Harry's godfather and he's harmless. He doesn't have a wand!"  
  
"Okay." She eyed both men suspiciously.   
  
"Continue with your report."  
  
"Yes sir." She said. "They were indeed under a charm, but it was easily corrected and they should be waking up soon."  
  
Sirius smiled grimly. "May I see the baby?"  
  
"Baby?" Madame Pomfrey squealed. "We haven't had a baby at Hogwarts since- since the 70's! Hand him here!"  
  
And Dumbledore passed her the baby.  
  
"Oh what a darling little boy!" She said. "What's his name?"  
  
"We don't know."  
  
"Oh, he's precious, just precious!" The baby giggled. "I'm taking him with me. He's probably hungry."  
  
"Yes, yes." Dumbledore shooed Poppy out.  
  
~* ~ * ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
"Katherine!" Harry hissed. She didn't move. "KATHERINE!"  
  
She groaned and looked at him. "What?"  
  
"We're home again."  
  
"But not safe yet."  
  
"D'you have Jamea?"  
  
"No, I thought you had him."  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh god." They got out of bed and began looking for him.  
  
"He's not here." Kat said and began crying. "Where is he?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Jamea!" Madame Pomfrey had just walked in to do her rounds, baby in toe.   
  
"Is that his name?" Madame Pomfrey asked and gave him to Harry.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"It suits him."  
  
"Thank you." Katherine took him from Harry. "We were worried about you Jamea- Waymea."  
  
"Thank god he's safe." Harry said. "Dunno what we would do if he-"  
  
Something had tackled him. It was a huge, black dog with mad eyes.   
  
"SIRIUS GET OFF OF ME!" Harry said, for fear of choking. When Sirius transformed he did not remove himself from Harry and began shaking him very roughly.  
  
"I- CAN'T- BELIEVE- YOU- WOULD- DO- THAT- TO- MY- TEENAGE- DAUGHTER!" He roared and shook him harder. "THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NEVER TO LAY A FINGER ON HER! BUT YOU GOT HER PREGNANT! I'M NOT EVEN 35 AND I'M A GRANDFATHER THANKS TO YOU'RE DESSIRES-"  
  
"Sirius!" Kat barked. "Get off of him! He didn't rape me for crying out loud!"  
  
"BUT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO GET PREGNANT!" He shook Harry some more.  
  
"Maybe we didn't have a choice." Harry choked. "Maybe we did the deed, but maybe we were forced to have a child!"  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sirius dropped his grip on Harry so suddenly that Harry's head hit the floor.  
  
"Which means that Voldemort made sure that we had a baby."  
  
"That's sick." Madame Pomfrey said.  
  
"Yeah, ya think?" Katherine said. "I wouldn't give Jamea up for the world, but if I could change the past, I would."  
  
"I agree."  
  
"But he kept tabs on us, Sirius." Katherine said seriously to her father. "He knew exactly what we had done and he punished us."  
  
"He- saw?" Harry choked. "I never knew that. You told me he was a good fortune teller."   
  
"You- Harry- it didn't matter what I told you."  
  
"I'm sorry- I had no choice-"  
  
"To be brainwashed? Of course you didn't pick that. You didn't pick to torture Colin, either. It hasn't really worn off on you yet."  
  
"I dunno." Harry said. "Whatever was left, Sirius shook out."  
  
"Sorry." Sirius said sheepishly. "I didn't realize..."  
  
"Can I have Jamea back?"   
  
"Yes." Katherine passed him to his father. Harry bounced the baby on his knee.  
  
"You named him Jamea?" Sirius said.   
  
"Yeah." Harry said and played with the baby's fingers. "After my dad, only modified."  
  
"What's his middle name?"  
  
"We don't know."  
  
"He's not registered."  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
"I think uh- Jamea Emrys would be nice."  
  
"Nothing Merlin-ish please." Harry said. "I'm going to barf."  
  
"Please don't." Katherine said. "If you throw up, I'm bound to follow the example."  
  
"Learn the art of sarcasm." Harry said and rolled his eyes. "Wait- Sirius, Voldemort hasn't been here, has he?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What's the time?"  
  
"Why, it's almost 3:30 at night."   
  
"Oh God." Harry said. "He's going to be here soon."  
  
"He is?"  
  
"Get out of here Sirius, he'll kill you." Harry said.  
  
"He'll kill you!" Sirius retorted.  
  
"Yes, but we're both ready for that." Katherine said. "He was going to kill us anyways."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Go!" Harry and Katherine said forcefully.   
  
"If you need any help..."  
  
"NO!" Harry said.  
  
"Just leave, Sirius."  
  
Sirius looked shocked and slightly sick when he walked from the room.  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
Fifteen minutes later Harry and Katherine left Hogwarts, no knowing their fate. They didn't notice the hundreds of stares from all the houses watching them as they left. Jamea had been left with Dumbledore and Sirius to be kept safe.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Y-yeah?"  
  
"I'm scared."  
  
"I'm scared too." Harry kissed her roughly and took her hand. "But I have a feeling we'll be okay."  
  
"I hope so."  
  
"We have to much to live for to die now."  
  
Katherine squeezed his hand in response. "Do you want to turn around?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"We're going to have to face him sooner or later, Kat." Harry said. "Better sooner than later. Plus Jamea is safe."  
  
"I suppose...but-"  
  
"We CAN do this." His voice gave her courage and they walked on.   
  
"We could get a Fidleous Charm put on us."  
  
"And run away from our fears?"  
  
"Harry, you are to brave."  
  
"If I were brave, I wouldn't be shaking." Harry said bluntly. "And I am shaking."  
  
Katherine patted his shoulder. "You shouldn't shake, because if you're nervous you won't perform your best."  
  
"You'd think that wouldn't you?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
A crunch of leaves sounded behind them and they knew their moment had come.  
  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*   
  
  
A/N: I lied again! OMG, I am so sorry about the cliffhanger! Okay, I'm lost in this story and I think I need your guy's help.  
  
Should I have the person behind them be:  
  
a) Sirius  
b) Voldemort  
c) The Wind  
d) An animal  
e) A mix   
  
Please review and tell me what you think! I mean that too!!!! Thank you so much, you guys are awesome. This chapter is dedicated to SEEKER2000 who is an amazing reviewer! Y'all should follow her example!   
  
  
  
  
  
  



	15. A Storybook Ending

Harry and Katherine whipped around. Tall and gangly in front of them was-  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
((A/N: Eat your heart out, cliffhanger haters.... I'm making you suffer))  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
((A/N: I'm horribly sorry for all you lovely people who like my cliffhangers.))  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius. Harry let out the breath he was holding and Katherine narrowed her eyes at him.  
  
"Sirius, you're going to get yourself hurt. Please go back to the castle?" She said.   
  
"And leave you, my daughter and you ((he looked at Harry)) my best friend's son to die just like that?" He snapped his fingers.  
  
"We're not that easy to beat." Harry said coldly.   
  
"Please?" Katherine begged. "C'mon, we asked you to take care of Jamea for a while. Where is he?"  
  
"Unharmed and safe in Madame Pomfrey's arms."   
  
"Sirius." Harry said hoarsely. "Leave."  
  
"I refuse."  
  
"You'll be killed or hurt."  
  
"I can risk that."  
  
"Please don't!" Katherine said.  
  
"It wouldn't do to die for us. We've participated in illegal Death Eater rallies and-"  
  
"You were enchanted!"  
  
"I wasn't." Katherine murmured. "He didn't enchant me."  
  
Sirius fell silent, looking up the couple.  
  
"Sirius, there isn't anything you can do to help. You're just slowing up what has to be. C'mon now, just leave us to fight."  
  
"Come with me back to the castle."  
  
~* Well, Harry? We could follow him a ways and then jug him over the head so he wont be killed. ~*  
  
~* And throw him into the bushes around Hogwarts until the battle was over? ~*  
  
~* Yeah. ~*  
  
~* That's horrible. ~*  
  
~* I know ~*  
  
~* But it just might work. ~*  
  
~* So you're game? ~*  
  
Harry nodded and said slowly, "If it'll make you feel better."  
  
"It would."  
  
"Okay, c'mon Kat. We're going back."  
  
Sirius shook his head in distaste when Harry put an arm around her waist and she put an arm around his shoulder. He transformed into the great black dog and they began to walk towards the castle.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
Once again Katherine and Harry whipped around.   
  
"Well?"  
  
"H-hello, there you are!" Katherine said weakly to Voldemort. He grinned.  
  
"New pet?" He pointed towards Sirius.  
  
"Just a stay." Harry said. "Nothing to worry about."  
  
"Oh." Voldemort said. With a sneer he added, "Then you won't mind if I kill it."  
  
"NO!" Harry and Katherine shouted in unison and then clapped hands over each other's mouths.  
  
"Fine." Voldemort said. He obviously thought they were under his control. "Why aren't you at the castle already?"  
  
"We decided to wait for you." Harry said.  
  
"I'm touched." Voldemort said. Harry was having problems not shouting out in pain, his scar was now throbbing so much.  
  
"Touched in the head." Kat muttered. Harry elbowed her hard in the side.   
  
"What was that?" Voldemort asked, suddenly menacing.  
  
"N-nothing." Kat stammered.   
  
"I smell a traitor."  
  
"Whatever do you mean, my Lord?" Kat asked. Sirius was growling. Harry kicked him.  
  
"Shut up." Harry said as coldly as he could. "You'll only get yourself killed."  
  
"Words of wisdom, Potter. When will you follow them?" Voldemort said.  
  
Harry glared at Voldemort.  
  
"Let me see your necklace, scum." He said to Harry.   
  
Biting back his rage, Harry said the first thing that came to him. "I took it off."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Yes, you heard me, I took off the necklace and so did Katherine."  
  
"You dare disobey my authority?"  
  
Kat and Harry gave him look for look.  
  
"You kidnapped us for a year. You forced us to do inhumanly things. You had us go against every law we've learned. You killed my whole family and Katherine's family as well." Harry said. "You named our baby and you deserve to die a very painful death."  
  
"Crucio!" Voldemort bellowed. Harry fell down, twitching in a terrible pain. "You make a touching speech, Potter."  
  
Harry glared through silent tears of pain.   
  
Voldemort wasn't watching Katherine as well as he should have. If he had been looking at her he would have seen the considerably large ball of glowing green energy in her hands.   
  
She hurled it at him. It hit the fiend with a sickening smack and for a few moments he was glowing and screaming but he soon threw it off of himself.  
  
"Silly girl." Voldemort chuckled. "Silly, stupid girl."  
  
"She is not stupid." Harry said, pulling himself off the ground, the Cruciatus curse having been thrown off him. "But we were for having been caught by you."  
  
"You're damn strait. You know I don't think old Dumbledore ever figured out my brilliant pla-"  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled, catching Voldemort off guard and he watched in horror as his wand flew away from him.   
  
It was like a dog that had chased the same squirrel up the same tree for years and years. When the dog finally caught the squirrel, he didn't know what to do with it. This is how Harry felt/looked. Voldemort was defenseless and Harry KNEW how to kill him. But he just didn't know what to do.  
  
"The tables have been turned it seems." Harry said lightly after a few dumbstruck moment. Sirius had bolted from the place, to find help most likely.   
  
"I don't know what you mean." Voldemort said. They realized that they were circling each other in wide, open lawn.   
  
"Oh, but you do. I've taken you by surprise and now you will be slain by your own sword." Harry said. "Because I will kill you."   
  
"You know I can't die." Voldemort hissed.   
  
"I think I'll be the judge of that." Harry sneered. "Avada Ked- wait a second. I'm not done with you yet."  
  
"Just get it over with Harry. You might net have a chance to get him again." Katherine advised.  
  
"Yes I will." Harry snapped. "And I want satisfaction for all he's taken from me." There was a stinging pain in Harry's shoulder, but he ignored it.  
  
((A/N: Some of you know how much I love the Princess Bride and Tamora Pierce. If you know any of that be prepared for a flashback.))  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I've suffered Tom." Harry said frankly. "More than I should have."  
  
"I had a life of suffering too." Voldemort snapped.  
  
"But you killed people to get over it." Harry said. "I haven't."  
  
"Yes, in your own way you have. I've been keeping track. You've killed 3 Muggles."  
  
"Liar!" Harry screamed. "I did not do that on my own free will! CRUCIO!"  
  
And Harry held the curse on for three seconds, dissatisfied because Voldemort was grinning all through the curse. It wasn't hurting him at all.  
  
"Give up?" He asked.   
  
"No!" Harry said loudly. "CRUCIOTORIOUS!" Harry had found a book at Voldemort's estates on one brief visit there. He had been waiting for Voldemort to arrive when Harry was in his study and Harry had found a book "Extremes" on a bookshelf. It was the extreme of the Cruciatus curse Harry had placed on him.   
  
This time Voldemort was in pain. He did not cry out or shake violently, but he had been thrown backwards, but his eyes were going berserk.   
  
"You win." Voldemort choked out, unable to move his limbs.  
  
"Not yet." Harry said coldly. "Offer me money."  
  
"To stay alive? Yes! All that I have and more!" Voldemort said, looking brighter, eviler.   
  
Harry concentrated on the curse and shoved his wand in the direction of Voldemort's head. "Offer me Power." Voldemort winced, a good sign.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Offer me everything I want."  
  
"Your hearts truest desire." He croaked in a barely audible voice.  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
  
Voldemort's body slumped and fell to ground.  
  
"I want my parents back, you son of a bitch." He threw Voldemort's wand on the ground, and with a satisfied grunt he walked away.   
  
Harry and Katherine didn't speak on the way back to the castle. Harry had a numb feeling of shock about himself and a feeling of foreboding that he didn't like.  
  
There were footsteps behind them.  
  
"That was a nice speech, Potter." Voldemort drawled.  
  
"What?" Harry spun around. He was alive, slightly glowing with some strange red light but alive all the same.   
  
"Pity 'Avada Kedavra' doesn't kill me." Voldemort continued. "Did you think you had won? Poor, mistaken boy, I'm far from dead."  
  
"Good one, now do you want a cookie?" Katherine snapped sarcastically.  
  
Voldemort snapped his fingers. Suddenly Jamea appeared in Voldemort's arms.  
  
"No Jamea!" Katherine screamed and lunged forward, but Harry caught her and held her back.  
  
"He has his father's looks about him." He said finally. The baby was squirming and crying.  
  
"Let his go, Voldemort." Harry said coldly. "He's done nothing to you."  
  
"He's done nothing to me…yet." Voldemort corrected. "I think I shall kill him now…"  
  
"No!" Harry yelled. "Don't kill him!"  
  
There were shouts from inside the castle, Harry knew reinforcements were coming to their aid.  
  
"Now where have I heard that before…?" Voldemort said. He looked at the baby, played with his pudgy little fingers. "Sounds like your parents just before they died."  
  
"Let him go," But the words that escaped Harry's lips weren't his usual light tenor voice but instead a deep baritone. Voldemort looked up in surprise.  
  
It wasn't Harry at all standing there. It was a tall young man of nearly 20 with a neatly trimmed black beard and he was dressed in royal livery with a sword in its hilt and shield glittering in his left hand. A wand was pointed at Voldemort's chest.  
  
"I said let him go!" He said forcefully again.  
  
"M- Merlin!" Voldemort said faintly.   
  
"Give me my child!" A woman called from behind them. Harry looked backward and smiled.   
  
Katherine was not herself either. She was taller and with blue eyes. She had a white, full-skirted dress and she looked ready to kill.  
  
Harry held out his hand. "My Lady Cyrena." He said.  
  
She took his hand and they returned to Voldemort who looked terrified for once in his life.  
  
"Your plan didn't work." Harry said coldly. "We are to good to be used for evil. You should have known that." Harry showed him the sword necklace around his neck. "These could never be used for evil."  
  
"We are stronger than you." Katherine continued. "Give us our child back."  
  
Voldemort didn't budge. Dumbledore, all the teachers (with the exception of Snape ((A/N: you'll recall he killed himself))) skidded out the doors. Hermione, Ron and several other willing seventh years had shown up too. But soon they were all dumbstruck as they watched this happening.   
  
Harry and Kat were starting to glow themselves, with a light as bright as the day and it was a mix of a green and yellow.   
  
"Face the consequences." Katherine said. She and Harry began to move forward to Voldemort.  
  
"Fissure!" Voldemort bellowed. A pain shot up through Harry and Katherine's joined hand, trying to separate them.  
  
"Don't let go!" Harry's new voice hissed.   
  
"I know." The woman that Katherine had turned into replied.   
  
They continued to walk forward, Voldemort began to retreat from them, afraid of the strange sphere of light around the teenagers.  
  
~* On three we kill. One. ~* Harry thought to her. ~* Two. Three! ~*  
  
They lunged forward and Voldemort and Jamea were engulfed in the glow. Voldemort let out a terrible, piercing, high pitched scream that made the 'audience' shudder. The baby giggled happily when he fell into Harry's outstretched hands. ((A/N: sorry how sailor-moony this is getting…I mean that one)   
  
The glow around them flickered and died. Katherine looked her normal self, as did Harry. Voldemort had collapsed on the ground.   
  
"Harry?" Katherine said faintly. She looked to her side. Harry was on the ground too, in a faint the baby safe in his arms. She fainted.  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
Harry felt himself being put on a stretcher and felt firm hands take his child away from him. Somehow he knew nothing would come of it.  
  
Somebody opened his mouth for him and poured something down his throat. He coughed and sputtered and sat strait up. He took his bed sheet and tried to wipe the taste of the Pepper-Up Potion off his tongue.  
  
Madam Pomfrey muffled a laugh. "You do that every time." She said.  
  
"Well, its disgusting stuff, Madam."   
  
"I'll say." Katherine said from another bed, coming to herself. "Absolutely horrid. Where's Jamea?"  
  
"I believe your fellow classmates have him in the common room." Madame Pomfrey said. Harry and Kat sat up; ready to get pack into "parent mode" but the doctor shook her head. "No, no, not until I've made sure you're okay."  
  
"I assure you I'm fine." Harry said through gritted teeth when Madam Pomfrey made him take off his shirt.  
  
"Lookit those muscles!" Katherine hooted from her bed, overcome with laughter. Harry scowled at her.  
  
"Shut up!"   
  
"Now, now children." Madame Pomfrey said and began tapping at various places with her wand. "Turn around dear."  
  
Harry did as he was told and Madam Pomfrey gasped.   
  
"What?" Harry demanded. "What is it?"  
  
"You've got a nasty gash." She said. "Don't know how I messed it before."  
  
"I don't even feel it." Harry said.  
  
"That's because I just did away with it. You'll have a scar."  
  
"Another one…" Harry said and glared at a mental picture of Voldemort. Then he remembered. "What happened to Voldemort?"  
  
"He- well, it's hard to explain." Madam Pomfrey said. "He's dead- but not really dead."  
  
"What does that mean."  
  
"He can't die, I know you of all people know that."  
  
"Yes." Harry said. "But don't understand."  
  
"We've buried him." The old, plump lady said and sighed. "Deep in the forest, deep underground, without any magical objects in the coffin."  
  
"So he's dead." Katherine said. "Or he will die if he's not dead."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Harry sighed. His life suddenly seemed to bloom in front of him. His greatest enemy was gone. He could finish up school and peruse his dreams without fear. His son was safe and so was Katherine. Life was good, and it could only get better.   
  
  
  
THE END  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Sorry if it was corny or rushed. You should have known that the corny factor was going to happen but let me know if this was rushed, okay? I will be writing an epilogue so, I'll hold all the lists of my credits for being cool and nice to me to the end of that.  
  
This chapter is dedicated to the directors and authors of all the movies and books I ripped off for this ending and in various chapters before this. They could sue me.  
  
See you guys later in the epilogue!  
  
~Tad   



	16. Epilogue

A/N: Added bonus to Christina Auiglera fans: Turn your CDs to #11 while the credits are rolling and the epilogue is in full swing!   
  
  
No one ever said that Love was gonna be easy   
Gotta take the ups and downs   
The in-betweens   
If you take this journey   
Gotta give yourself completely   
Never let anybody ever step on a dream   
You better stop  
Listen to these words I say   
You better stop   
Don't you throw this good thing away no no  
Put your trust in me   
And I'll make you see   
CHORUS: No the rain won't last forever   
Find a way to make it better   
Long as we can stand together Love will find a way   
Gonna make a new tomorrow  
Say good-bye to tears and sorrow  
Better listen when I say   
Love will find a way   
Somebody tried to tell me love don't last forever   
Said it only happens in your wildest dreams   
After all is said and done   
We're still here together   
Never listen to the lies and jealousy   
You better stop   
Don't you let them turn you around   
You better stop   
Hang onto this love that we've found   
Nothing that they say   
Can stand in our way  
(Chorus)  
I want you I need you  
You know that I believe you   
We got it   
You know it   
So if it's real   
Just show it baby   
I want you   
I need you   
You know that   
I believe you   
We got it   
You know it   
So if it's real just show it   
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
Katherine, marvelous in ivory silk made her way down an isle decked in purple sprays of lilacs. She was shaking slightly. Under the wedding canopy everything looked so much different. Harry caught her eye and she smiled at him. Harry too looked incredibly nervous. He didn't realize he was grinning like a fool, but he was and Katherine smiled when she saw him truly happy. (Did she realize she was grinning like a fool too?) His hair was neatly parted and for once it wasn't crazy. He looked positively gorgeous.   
  
The Rabbi (A/N: yes you read me correctly. I said RABBI! I never said that Kat was Christian, did I? No, you're right! I didn't think so! Plus nobody has ever really specified Harry's religion either. ) turned around and they dropped their arms and separated.   
  
The Rabbi started to read the ceremony off and Katherine began to do her part by circling around Harry several times as he read. As it wore on they exchanged vows and then both sipped from a goblet of wine. (A/N: So sue me if some of this isn't correct, I haven't been to a wedding in ages…) The Rabbi said one more thing and put the empty goblet of wine in a pouch and put it on the ground.   
  
With a determined look on his face, Harry brought his foot up and stomped down (with a nice crunch) on the glass. The wedding was over. They were married. Hoots of congratulations came from the very large audience (and press) and (A/N: I had to add this, even if it isn't tradition) Harry, with one movement had Katherine in his arms and he kissed her. The press was very pleased and so was the photographer so they held the stance for a little while for them.   
  
Katherine excepted her baby from Hermione and Lavender and Parvati who gave Harry hugs and stained his tuxedo with their running eye makeup bombarded Harry.   
  
"Beautiful wedding!" People kept saying when they greeted the newlyweds.   
  
"I suppose I can't tell you not to touch my daughter anymore, eh?" Sirius joked.   
  
"I suppose not." Harry said, beaming.   
  
"Damn."  
  
"Daddy, watch your language." Katherine snapped.  
  
"You called me 'Daddy.'" Sirius said, a mix of excited and confused.  
  
"Yeah, I'm in a good mood." Katherine said.  
  
"I think we all our." Harry said.  
  
"Well Harry." A reporter had finally found him. "What do you plan to do now that you're married, have a child, killed you-know-who and cleared Sirius Black's name?" ((A/N: I forgot to add that part into the normal series. Harry, finally free to do how he wanted to do things, cleared Sirius's name))  
  
"Hmm." Harry said. "Get a job?"  
  
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*  
  
And so they lived happily ever after…or did they? (And I'm only talking about people who had a little effect in my story, including Picture of Temptation)  
  
Colin Creevy: Forgave Harry immediately for torturing him and now boasts about it. He is currently working on the Knight Bus.  
  
Parvati Patil: Took Professor Trelawny's place at Hogwarts  
  
Lavender Brown: Is eagerly trying to steal Parvati's job.  
  
Neville: Works with Colin  
  
Cho: Gets into a Quidditch team by sleeping with the manager and gets kicked off when under "new Management."  
  
  
  
Sirius: Remains single, gets a job teaching DADA at Hogwarts and lasts more than one year.  
  
Remus: The only known seller of Wolfsbane. Ever.  
  
Dumbledore: Was the oldest Headmaster to ever remain at Hogwarts. He retired when he died at age 149. His ghost makes sure the castle is still in order.  
  
Hermione and Ron: The odd couple! They are engaged to be engaged. They still bicker.  
  
Jamea: Is growing up to be a tall young man, looking (cute) like his father, only with Katherine's nose and her eyesight.  
  
Amelia: Took over as team captain when Harry did graduate and became an Auror in her later years.  
  
Voldemort: Is (hopefully) rotting in an unmarked grave.  
  
Harry and Katherine: Well, you know what happened to them! ((Grins mischievously))   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I won't bore you with long lists of thank you notes, but I DO want to thank you all for reviewing/reading my story when it was in progress. It's a real self-esteem boost when I get reviews like the ones you guys are hailing me with! I really do appreciate it, and I will write personal notes to anybody who leaves an e-mail address. I love getting mail and I don't mind answering any questions. ((hint, hint)) A couple of you have asked about what happens to Jamea, and I'm considering a short story dedicated to the little kid. We'll see what happens, tell me if you would want to see that!?   
  
Thanks again guys!  
  
~ Tad   
  
P.S.- I just wanted a little variety when I made it a Jewish wedding, please dont be mean to me about it. I mean Kat is a different person, why cant she have a DIFFERENT religion, eh? So sont mind that she's Jewish and Harry is most likely Christian. It is a happy ending!!!!!  
  



End file.
